I'm going to hijack this thread and ask you all a question I've been wondering since my last visit. Are comped drinks watered down or with cheaper liquor? I had like 4-5 Jameson on the rock and barely felt a buzz until the last one. I felt like the liquor wasn't as strong. Either that or I'm an alcoholic.
Unless your drink is poured out of a bottle, I wouldn't say watered down, but totally measured when it comes out of the gun. The casino can totally control the amount of the pour. Now, if you're used to a healthy pour at your local establishment, an exact one ounce pour or maybe even less, depending on the casino, can taste pretty weak. Occasionally back here we'll run into a newbie bartender who uses a shot glass to measure his pour. You get that drink and you say where is the booze?
The Magic 8-Ball says "All signs point to yes." At least to swapping out high end brands for cheaper ones (without telling you). This article on Vital Vegas explains: http://vitalvegas.com/casino-liquor-swap-reading-might-change-feel-las-vegas-forever/ TLDR (from the article): "When you order a Captain Morgan and diet, there’s often no telling what you’ll actually get. You could get Sailor Jerry (not likely). Or Cruzan. Or Lady Bligh (yes, that exists). Or something called Admiral Nelson. Your cocktail waitress might pass along your order as “Captain and diet,” but casino bartenders treat the order as “rum and diet,” and pour whatever comes out of the gun, typically the cheapest substitute they can use." The other options to get the real deal are either gamble in the high limit room (they serve high end in there for obvious reasons), order your specific drink from the bar yourself (they will pour what you ask generally), or ask a pit boss or floor manager for a "must-be" drink (it's considered a comp to get high end liquor that needs to be approved). Or order beer - if they serve craft beer or something, at least you'll know what you're getting, especially if it comes in the bottle. So, drinker beware I suppose.
