802 Spirits February 2023

Jose Cuervo Authentic Strawberry Lime Margarita

The world’s top ready-to-serve margaritas come in many classic, fruity and fun flavors. America’s Favorite Ready-toDrink Margarita, Authentic Cuervo® Margaritas are made exclusively with

A Modern Take on Old-World Style

Zoe Zilian has always loved great cocktails that she has enjoyed while traveling abroad and great company to enjoy them. This is what inspired her to open Au Comptoir last summer on Mechanic Street — a stone’s throw from the Woodstock Inn.

“The village really needed a destination, especially after Covid, for locals and neighbors to meet one another, old and new. A village gathering place

BY ROBERT COOK

where people can feel like they are part of a community again,” Zilian explains. “And also a classier experience with a European vibe to it, so you feel like you’re somewhere else when you are there, but also know you are in a quintessential New England village.”

Thanks to Zilian and her staff of nine, residents and visitors can come into her Old World-style craft cocktail bar and feel like they are nestled in a European village.

Au Comptoir, French for “at the bar,”

is Zilian’s latest project. She is also the co-founder of Farmhouse Pottery.

Zilian opened a year-round craft cocktail bar in mid-August after nearly a year of planning. Her goal was to establish a village cocktail bar that would emphasize modern craft cocktails accompanied by high hospitality and furnishings and décor from the Old World. They also offer several tantalizing small plates that include many locally sourced ingredients like Vermont maple syrup, Vermont cheeses and

Restuarateur Zoe Zilian, with Nicholas Capanna, her head bartender, are ready to greet and serve you at Au Comptoir in Woodstock.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW FRATES PHOTOGRAPHY

chocolate from Green Mountain State chocolatiers right down the street here in Woodstock Village.

Patrons will encounter Italian glassware and vintage dishware. Au Comptoir’s craft cocktails include boiled-down syrups they make in-house and fresh-pressed citrus and evolving cocktail selection each season. “This fall we had a specialty drink called the Cardigan with cider, and infused pecan bourbon to make it special,” Zilian says.

Some of the seasonal cocktails during the holiday season included: the Wassail Spritz made with Jamaican rum, spiced cider, fresh lemon, luxardo amaro, cava and soda water; The Hibernator made with Michter’s rye, Mad River apple brandy, Vermont maple syrup, house bitters, amaro nonino; and the Au Comptoir Manhattan made with Elijah Craig bourbon, Mad River Revolution Rye, carpano antica formula vermouth and luxardo cherry.

Despite not having a kitchen, Zilian said she and her staff have plenty of luxury food items to go with their impressive menu of craft cocktails. “You can create an entire meal out of small bites,” she says.

Like many Vermont bar owners, Zilian pitches in and mixes her share of craft cocktails for her patrons.

“I have a really great team and staff, which allows me to focus on customer experience, events and the ambiance, which is really important to me,” Zilian says.

“I love to mingle and get to know the customers and where they are coming from, whether they are local or from afar,” Zilian adds.

Her goal with Au Comptoir was to create an experience where her patrons could enjoy what she often discovered during her travels.

Combining Old-World charm and ambiance with craft cocktails delights and inspires her customers, Zilian says.

“It’s really a nice power duo that is great for someone to come in here and be pleasantly surprised,” she says.

Creating a place where the community is welcome to gather is also a very important aspect of Au Comptoir, Zilian explains.

She does not want patrons to assume her restaurant caters to just a certain type of clientele.

Au Comptoir recently enjoyed a great turnout for Woodstock’s recent Turkey Trot run. Families gathered around outdoor firepits on the restaurant’s patio and enjoyed craft mimosas and bloody mary’s.

Woodstock’s Wassail Weekend took place over the holiday season. Zilian said she invited local artisans to sell their wares at a mini-Christmas Market, along with the community firepits and wool blankets. Anyone who spent time at Au Comptoir would think they were at a place like Zermatt, Switzerland, for some typical après-ski action.

“It’s a continuing evolution and effort to just bring people together,” she says. Creating that sense of community is one of the most important ingredients that goes into every craft cocktail she and her staff mixes.

For Valentine’s Day, Zilian said the

restaurant and craft cocktail bar will offer small plates that include food items such as a Night Cap menu with selections like the Moonlight in Vermont with Tavernier Chocolates, a southern Vermont chocolatier. The festive menu includes beautiful chocolate bars for two, if patrons choose to share, and a bon bon charcuterie board that customers can cut in half with a mini cleaver. “It’s very romantic and very sweet.”

When asked what she enjoys about mixing cocktails, Zilian said it reminds her of her interior design and product design work.

“It’s the layers,” says Zilian. “It’s the process of the making and the creation and the ideology of that, into then having a product like our syrups and freshpressed juices that we have daily. There’s a lot that goes into each crafted cocktail from prep to finish.”

“When you pour in those layers into the mixing glass or the shaker and you see the layers evolve into this beautiful cocktail that really tastes like the season you’re in and then the garnish presentation with the garnishes and the glassware to the customer, it’s just a delightful experience,” Zilian says.

“I am absolutely passionate about all of it. It’s the whole package; it’s not just one detail. It’s everything from inside and out,” Zilian adds.

When asked which craft cocktail she enjoys creating the most, Zilian replies, “It varies, it really does. My favorite cocktail is the classic Manhattan.”

Zilian said they have a Manhattan Black on their menu that consists of High West Bourbon and, instead of Vermouth, uses amaro averna to bring in the depth of the Manhattan Black.

Zilian continues to learn a great deal about mixology from Nicholas Capanna, her head bartender and cocktail creator. “We collaborate together, and we have a lot of fun doing it.” Zilian says.

Zilian has lived in Woodstock since 2006. She moved there with her exhusband and their two daughters, Mia, 14, Ava, 13. She says they wanted to move out of Boston and New York City and live in a more country setting.

Zilian is originally from Camden, Maine. After graduating from Suffolk University in Boston, she enjoyed a career in the advertising industry where she specialized in film and product design.

With her love of craft cocktails and creating community, Zilian believes Au Comptoir is her calling.

Perfect for the season, the Polar Plunge is made with cranberry-infused dry gin, Cocchi Rosa Vermouth, pressed lime juice, simple syrup and a dash of salt.

Head bartender Nicholas Capanna behind the Old World-style craft cocktail bar PHOTOS BY DAVID SEAVER

Let's Take a Sleigh Ride Together

BY ROBERT COOK

Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near. Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.

- Robert Frost, “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening”

Trapp Family Lodge –Stowe

The hills are always alive with the sound of music — especially during a Vermont winter. The Trapp Family Lodge offers horse-drawn sleigh rides every weekend through March along their 2,500 acres of land overlooking the Green Mountains. With all of its property covered in snow, visitors really do experience a little of Austria and a lot of Vermont.

The perfect cocktail to enjoy back at the lodge is a Very Sexy Martini. This cocktail combines sparkling rosé Champagne with fresh raspberries, citrus vodka and muddled mint.

When Robert Frost penned one of his most well-known poems, he was inspired by his horse-drawn sleigh ride through the winter woods and the beauty of nature that touched his soul. It is not certain if he made this trip in Vermont or neighboring New Hampshire, but Frost certainly captures the feeling one experiences in a horse-drawn sleigh ride.

It is also one of the most romantic things that couples can enjoy this Valentine’s Day. Vermont is blessed with dozens of horse-riding stables, farms and resorts that offer this time-treasured experience set against the backdrop of wide-open fields, undisturbed paths flanked by birch trees, stone walls and the Green Mountains. Under a clear, starlit sky, horse-drawn sleigh rides are truly magical. With a warm blanket, some favorite spirits and each other’s company, a Vermont winter sleigh ride is sure to inspire true romance without the aid of Cupid’s arrows. Here are five of Vermont’s best winter sleigh-ride options with some cocktails to match.

For each of these suggested rides, reservations are required, so please call ahead to book your sleigh ride with your significant other. Love is on!

Very Sexy Martini >

3 raspberries

5 mint leaves

1 ounce simple syrup

11/2 ounces citrus vodka

1 ounce lime juice

11/2 ounces Moët & Chandon Rosé Imperial Champagne, or another comparable sparkling rosé, to top

1 mint sprig for garnish

1 raspberry for garnish

In a shaker, muddle the raspberries and mint with the simple syrup. Add the vodka and lime juice, fill with ice, and shake until well chilled.

Strain into a cocktail glass.

Top with the Champagne and garnish with a mint sprig and a raspberry.

Rainbows Edge Farm –Sutton

Couples who want to experience a horse-drawn sleigh ride in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom can book a 45-minute ride at Rainbow’s Edge Farm in Sutton seven days a week. Their team of Belgian draft horses provide a gentle ride along this farm’s private paths.

A great spirit to enjoy this Valentine’s night would be Between the Sheets.

This Prohibition-era cousin of the Sidecar includes the same cognac, orange liqueur and fresh lemon juice, plus a splash of rum. The expressed oils from a flamed orange peel give it extra fragrance and flair.

Between the Sheets >

1 ounce cognac

1 ounce light rum

1 ounce triple sec

1/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 flamed orange peel for garnish

Add the cognac, rum, triple sec and lemon juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well chilled.

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Express the oils from a flamed orange peel over the top of the drink, then discard the peel before serving.

Kedron Valley Stables – South Woodstock

For a quintessential Currier and Ives New England experience, Kedron Valley Stables in South Woodstock has it and more. Located one mile south from the stables, horse-drawn sleigh rides depart from the Green Mountain Horse Association. Warm blankets are provided along with great scenery and memories. Cozy up with the La Violetta cocktail.

If you can’t choose between cocktails and red wine for your special evening, allow this drink to make your decision easier. A mix of gin, crème de violette and lemon juice gets topped with the Italian sparkling red wine lambrusco, creating a cocktail that’s floral, earthy and elegant.

La Violetta >

1 ounce Boodles London dry gin

1/2 ounce Rothman & Winter crème de violette

1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 ounce lambrusco

dehydrated lemon wheel or lemon twist for garnish

Add the gin, creme de violette and lemon juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well chilled.

Double-strain into a coupe or wine glass.

Top with the lambrusco and stir gently and briefly to combine. Garnish with a dehydrated lemon wheel or fresh lemon twist.

Taylor Farm – Londonderry

A truly authentic Vermont sleigh-ride experience that emphasizes the charm of simplicity and the allure of the country-side await lovers at Taylor Farm in Londonderry. In addition to the ride, the farm takes visitors to an area where a bonfire and warming hut with hot apple cider await. For couples who wanted to bring a picnic and some wine but forgot them at their B&B, Taylor Farm has a store that has you covered. Warm up with this White Chocolate Martini.

Instead of a traditional heart-shaped box of chocolates, you could delight your lover with a decadent concoction of white chocolate liqueur, cocoa powder and cream over ice.

Chocolate Martini >

3 ounces Trader Vic's White Chocolate Liqueur

1 ounce cream or half and half

Cocoa powder for garnish and for rimming the glass

1 cinnamon stick for garnish (optional)

Add a small amount of Trader Vic’s White Chocolate Liqueur into a small rimmed plate. Add a small amount of cocoa powder to another plate. Dip the rim of an inverted cocktail glass into the liqueur, then into the cocoa powder. Set aside. Add the white chocolate liqueur, creme de cacao, half-and-half or cream into a shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into the prepared glass.

Mountain Top Resort –Chittenden

Located on the shores of Lake Champlain south of Burlington, the Mountain Top Resort offers horse-drawn sleigh rides as part of their winter activities. With the scenic beauty afforded by the Champlain Valley all around, lovers can cuddle under a warm woolen blanket and enjoy the majesty of nature.

Back at the resort, it’s time for a cocktail to consummate your wonderful day and welcome the beautiful night that will unfold for two hearts that beat as one.

The Kiss combines Gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur and Dubonnet rouge wine that come as close to a kiss as can be.

The Kiss >

2 ounces gin

3/4 ounce Dubonnet rouge

3/4 ounce sweet vermouth

1/4 ounce Luxardo maraschino liqueur

apple slices and cranberries and cinnmon sticks for garnish

Add the gin, Dubonnet Rouge, sweet vermouth and maraschino liqueur to a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Garnish with apples and cranberries.

Do you know?

QUESTION:

As we celebrate Valentine’s Day with that special someone, it is interesting how thoughts of love and romance were also the theme of the very first motion picture that was filmed in the Green Mountain State. Given the fact that so many memorable films have been made here in Vermont for more than a century, it would be hard for even the most ardent film buff to know this one. What was the name of the first movie ever made in Vermont, and when was it filmed?

NEW TO

VERMONT!

A perfectly balanced blend of juicy pineapple, creamy coconut and sweet guava avors.

A MODERN

ENJOY ANGEL’S ENVY RYE, FINISHED IN SECONDARY PORT BARRELS FOR A NEW LAYER OF FLAVOR AND COMPLEXITY

ANSWER:

According to the Burlington Free Press, “A Vermont Romance” was made over the course of 10 weeks in the spring of 1916. It was screened for the time before an audience of 4,000 at the former Majestic Theater in downtown Burlington in September of that year. Now isn’t that romantic?

A pre-batched blend of straight bourbon whiskey, straight rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bi ers aged in used rye barrels producing a smoother, well-rounded, richer experience. Get

Still from 'A Vermont Romance'. Courtesy of VIFF

VERMONT

Pricing and products are subject to change without notice. 802Spirits is not responsible for typographical errors.

BRANDY

RUM

COCKTAILS

CORDIALS

CORDIALS, IMPORTED

FORTIFIED WINES

GIN

TEQUILA

VODKA, IMPORTED

WHISKEY

WHISKEY, AMERICAN

WHISKEY, OTHER

026447 Hudson Do the Rye Thing 750ML $39 99 #N/A 35.99

016189 Jefferson's Ocean Aged Rye 750ML $79 99 #N/A 74.99

027056 Jim Beam Rye 750ML $25 99 #N/A 22.99

027048 Knob Creek Rye 750ML $38 99 37 99 32.99

This 100-proof

WHISKEY, SCOTCH

005635 Monkey Shoulder Scotch Whisky .......

Monkey Shoulder was originally created to make perfect whisky cocktails and has been made for mixing ever since balance with spicy hints of oak That smooth, malty and fruity character is bold enough to stand out in a drink, and balanced enough not to take it over

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