LOCAL LIBATIONS

LOCAL LIBATIONS Mixing it Up at Montrio

Anthony Vitacca puts a modern spin on classic cocktails with locally sourced ingredients

By Pete Rerig PHOTOGRAPH BY TED HOLLADAY

Anthony Vitacca is a kid with a chemistry set. A very, very nice chemistry set, made up of incredibly rare Old World aperitifs and liqueurs, small-batch bourbons and ryes, hand-crafted gins, infused vodkas and so much more. And as the “executive mixologist” at the Monterey restaurant Montrio Bistro, Vitacca gets to play with that chemistry set whenever he wants, cooking up everything from classic drinks to truly inspired cocktails that utilize local ingredients and, at the same time, pay homage to them.

“I was very fortunate because the owners of Montrio allowed me to take control of the bar program and do my own thing,” says Vitacca, who admits he finds his inspiration from the classic pre-Prohibition era cocktails such as the Aviation and the Manhattan. “I love putting a modern spin on something as well known as the Singapore Sling, reworking it in a martini style and using pineapple and grenadine foam.”

Vitacca also gets a good deal of his behind-the-bar ideas from food. “Whenever my wife and I go out to eat I’m always thinking ‘how can I incorporate these flavors into a cocktail?’ That’s why I use everything from saffron to chipotles to cucumber in my drinks, as well as homemade maraschino cherries, which we get from Swank Farms in Hollister and stone ourselves.” In addition, Vitacca makes his own syrups, falernum (a sweet concoction used in tropical drinks and containing flavors of almond, cloves and lime), ginger-peppercorn, and blackberry-plum shrub.

Indeed, a trip to a local farmers’ market can yield a whole new idea for a cocktail, depending on what jumps out at him while perusing fruit, vegetable and herb bins. Consider some of these tempting libations: the Beta Vulgaris, which counts among its ingredients juice made from local beets, the classic Pisco Sour made with local freerange egg whites, martinis that use gin and vodka infused with Salinas Valley artichokes—the list goes on and on. There’s also local citrus for bitters, alongside basil for the Mambo and sage for the Velvet Crush.

Aside from the normal drinks menu, Vitacca keeps a secret, more-extensive one behind the bar, a listing he’ll draw from only when he has the time due to the laborious nature of each drink’s preparation. “I want our guests to remember their cocktail with a smile,” he adds. “I pride myself on creating a surprising experience that can only come from deconstructing classic drinks and recreating them with a modern twist. I want people to ask me, ‘How did you get a beet to taste so good in a cocktail?’”

Montrio Bistro • 414 Calle Principal, Monterey 831.648.8880 • www.montrio.com

Beta Vulgaris 2.0

1 1/2 ounces St. Germain elderflower liqueur 3/4 ounce Green Chartreuse 2 ounces roasted beet juice 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients into shaker. Shake and strain into chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.