MONTEREY >> Diners’ appetite for the gourmet has spilled over from the plate to the glass. Beer has migrated from backyard barbecue into fine dining. Now, harder spirits are getting a fancy facelift, too.
Accolades are piling up for big city bars serving luxurious libations. We wet our whistle with artisanal absinthe, vodka and other small-batch spirits. And more restaurants are adding a full bar to entice epicures.
The trend, not surprisingly, started in New York and San Francisco, the bicoastal hubs for haute cuisine. Slowly, Monterey’s craft cocktail culture is catching up.
Montrio Bistro was the first to elevate the bar experience with a cocktail menu featuring clever combinations and savory infusions. Restaurant 1833 pushed the next wave with barrel-aged cocktails and tableside flaming absinthe.
Alvarado Street Brewery and Grill has emerged as an unexpected force in the local cocktail scene. The brewery’s cocktail program is a relatively new addition, but one generating quite a bit of buzz with concoctions courtesy of bartenders John Lopez and Daniel “Biggie” Hartmann.
The menu blends classic and creative — you’ll find a Manhattan alongside a Fernet Flip — and is a reflection of the bartenders’ own taste in cocktails. Both Lopez and Hartmann are avid cocktail enthusiasts, respecting the long history of the culture while leveraging new trends.
For example, cocktails are increasingly taking inspiration from the kitchen. Many trendy bars now include cocktails with chile-infused spirits. At Alvarado Street Brewery, Lopez’s “Smoke and Fire” uses a jalapeño simple syrup for the foundation of the drink. “I like the heat and peppery flavor of jalapeños,” he said.
Lopez has also been using beer as one of his ingredients, highlighting the popularity of low-alcohol cocktails. For some restaurants, it’s a way to satisfy diners’ demands for a cocktail while balancing the legalities of a liquor license limited to beer and wine. Pacific Grove’s Jeninni Kitchen + Wine Bar features creative cocktails made with wine and other fermented alcohols in place of distilled spirits.
Then there’s the non-alcoholic cocktail, often made with club soda, tonic water or ginger beer in lieu of the harder stuff. “Mocktails are apparently becoming popular in bars for the late-night crowd that wants to stay sober and stay slim,” Lopez said.
Again, there’s evidence of this trend emerging here in sleepy Monterey County. Lauren De Vine Beverage — a “cocktail CSA” subscription by Carmel bar consultant Lauren De Vine — provides fresh, local and organic drink mixes to pair with spirits, but De Vine’s mixes are equally delicious served as a mocktail without booze.
Try this at home
Just as celebrity chefs have inspired diners to test their skills in the home kitchen, the rise of the craft cocktail has diners building up their home bars.
“Start by buying all the ingredients for your favorite cocktails, one cocktail at a time, and eventually your bar will increase with tons of ingredients you can play with,” Lopez said.
But setting up a home bar is more than collecting bottles of booze. To muddle and mix, a bartender has a set of tools.
“Make sure you have the basics: a shaker, a bar spoon, a strainer, a muddler (a pestle-shaped tool used to mash cocktail ingredients and extract extra flavor) and a jigger, to measure out the proper pour,” Lopez said.
Cocktail mixing is like chemistry; avoid free pouring and always pay attention to ratios for the best flavor. That’s where the jigger comes in. It’s a measuring tool for a precise shot, named for the official unit of measure, a jigger, or 1.5 ounces.
Glassware is also critical: Much as there are unique glasses for specific wines, there are unique glasses for specific cocktails. Collins and highball glasses are tall and skinny, a classic glass for a gin and tonic and other drinks with a lot of ice. Rocks glasses are short and stout, typically used for bourbon and whiskey drinks. Then there are martini glasses and shot glasses.
Lopez suggests skipping the big-box stores. “I get about 90 percent of my glassware from second-hand shops and antique stores,” he said. “They are really cheap and sexy.”
Lopez also recommends reading up on cocktail culture, especially Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s “The Bar Book” and blog (www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com).
Smoke and Fire
Lopez’s “Smoke and Fire” cocktail is a mix of sweet, spicy and smoky with tequila, mezcal and chilies.
Tequila is a misunderstood spirit. For many, it no doubt stirs memories of a spring break fueled by cheap shots. But many distilleries are releasing refined tequilas that are smooth and sippable. Lopez encourages us to embrace these fancier tequilas.
“I use Chinaco Blanco,” he said. “You don’t need an expensive tequila, especially when it’s being used in a cocktail. Pretty much any decent blanco or silver tequila works well.”
Mezcal is the hipster sister of tequila, becoming increasingly popular on cocktail menus. Primarily produced in Oaxaca, Mexico, mezcal starts with the same agave plant as tequila, but the agave is first mashed and roasted before being fermented and distilled, giving it a signature smoky flavor.
Mezcal is traditionally sipped on its own, but Lopez combines it with tequila to add unique flavor. “I love Fidencio Mezcal in a cocktail for its smoky notes,” he said.
Raúl Nava is a Herald correspondent.
