Local Libations

Süda • 3910 Portola Drive, Santa Cruz • 831.600.7068

Local Libations Süda

A taste of Santa Cruz in every sip

By Elizabeth Limbach Photography by Ted Holladay

When it comes to sourcing ingredients for cocktails, Tristan Hickenbottom doesn’t venture far.

Indeed, the bar manager for Süda—a hip, half-year-old Pleasant Point restaurant named for the Estonian word for “heart”—tends living basil and mint plants right alongside his bottles of aromatic bitters and glasses stuffed with fresh citrus; he harvests the lavender that infuses one of his simple syrups himself. In fact, from the cilantro, basil and strawberries Süda raises on its own small farm in Corralitos to the other fresh fruit and vegetables delivered by Watsonville Produce, all of Süda’s ingredients come from around Santa Cruz, where 23-yearold Hickenbottom was born and raised.

Hickenbottom also aims to keep it local when it comes to the liquors Süda stocks, choosing to feature California spirits like TRU Organic Vodka and Blade Gin.

“The theme at Süda is farm-fresh, sustainable foods and staying local,” Hickenbottom says, referring to the restaurant’s creative

and eclectic menu. “We try to bring that home in the liquor domain as well.”

This means that, save for some staples, the cocktail menu is largely at the whim of the seasons—with fall came a pink peppercorn cosmo and home-batched spiced rum; blood oranges are featured prominently on the winter drink menu.

Hickenbottom keeps the classics in mind when concocting most of his cocktails. “When I have a drink at home, I’m making classic drinks,” he explains. “That’s what I like to drink—and that’s how I get inspiration for

what I can change in the drink.” Two of the restaurant’s most popular cocktails embody this approach: The Süda 75 ($9), which incorporates basil, cucumber and lavender into the famous French 75, and the MadHattan ($11), which is an Alice In Wonderland-inspired twist on the ever-delicious Manhattan (take note: Süda also makes a mean top-shelf Manhattan). Hickenbottom’s MadHattan starts with a fiery absinthe rinse, which gives the drink an anise nose. Once the blue flames have coated the snifter, an ethereal mix of bourbon, blood orange liqueur and vermouth are poured in, releasing a light steam.

Hickenbottom earned his mixology stripes at the upstairs lounge at Downtown Santa Cruz’s Motiv, which is owned by Süda co-owner Mike Pitt, who also owns The Castaways bar. (Süda’s other owner is Daniel Voskoboynikov, who is also the proprietor of Harbor Cafe.)

“The overall goal at Süda is to change what people expect when they go into a restaurant, when they go into a bar,” Hickenbottom says. “I want people to realize that there is more out there than just your gin and tonic, that there is more out there than just your standard margarita.” He points to Süda’s Green Mary (made with tomatillo tomatoes that are fire-roasted with garlic and onion and a custom mix of spices, cilantro and basil) as an example of his quest to redefine the standards and raise expectations.

“People should be aware of what they’re buying and consuming” even when it comes to alcohol indulgences, Hickenbottom says. “We’re a good representation of what you can do with ingredients from the surrounding area.”

The Süda 75

Courtesy Tristan Hickenbottom, bar manager, Süda in Santa Cruz

1½ ounces Blade Gin ½ ounce lavender simple syrup ½ ounce lemon juice 3–4 basil leaves 3 cucumber pieces, sliced into quarterinch thick discs Champagne-style sparkling wine

Lavender simple syrup Pick a handful of live flowering lavender. Remove the flowering bud from the stem until you have ½ to ¾ cup of flower tops.

In a saucepan, bring 6 cups of water to a boil then turn down heat to simmer. Add 6 cups of organic sugar (cane or raw). Stir until completely dissolved and the liquid has become transparent. Set heat to low and add lavender, stirring occasionally for the first 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and let sit until mixture has cooled. Use a funnel with cheesecloth or a super-fine mesh strainer (bouillon strainer) to strain out the lavender. Refrigerate and enjoy for up to 3 weeks.

Muddle both basil and cucumber in a mixing glass. Add all additional ingredients and ice. Shake for 9–12 seconds until frost begins to form on shaker tin. Double-strain into a cocktail or wine glass. Add a light float of champagne style sparkling wine (brute) to taste. Garnish with a cucumber wheel. Enjoy!