Talking With Pam Ashlund, ‘Queen of Swizzle’ – June 9, 2025

The Talk About Las Vegas Podcast | a podcast by Ira Sternberg

This week on “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” Ira chats with Pam Ashlund, affectionately known as the “Queen of Swizzle.” Pam will be featured at the Casino Collectibles Association’s 32nd Annual Show, June 12–14 at South Point. In this colorful episode, she stirs up stories about her lifelong fascination—and yes, slight obsession—with swizzle sticks. What began with her mother’s lone swizzle stick from a Chicago lounge has become a sentimental and historic quest to preserve a once-overlooked piece of cocktail culture. Pam dives into the unexpected depth of swizzle stick collecting: from rare airline and alcohol-branded sticks to mid-century Las Vegas treasures that transitioned from (unfortunately) whimsical 3D forms to flat (and cheaply made) designs. She opens up about her passion for preservation, the ingenious ways she stores and categorizes her vast collection (which includes thousands of sticks that “used to be in someone’s drink”), and how she manages the “household rule” that keeps her collecting in check—sort of. Pam also shares her dream of starting a swizzle stick museum, helping researchers, and why the Tiki revival is giving these tiny stirrers a new spotlight. A fun, nostalgic, and truly unique conversation not to be missed! (Also Watch Full Podcast Video)