GQ Chef of the Year David Kinch
was sick of sending early arrivals elsewhere for a cocktail. The
fourteen-seat lounge showed up this spring in a major renovation of
Manresa, his Silicon Valley temple to the local and seasonal, where most
of what you eat comes from
Love Apple Farms
in the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains. Kinch favored classic recipes for
the cocktail program, but then sommelier Jeff Bareilles got a noseful of
Love Apple's Bolivian coriander, which is not a euphemism for cocaine.
"I thought, I can make a cocktail with this," he says. Manresa treats
the cocktail as an
amuse-bouche,
with drinks that are light and fresh. Like the menu, they're inspired
by hyssop, pungent Black Prince tomatoes, dates and whatever the farm
provides. The Shizuka is built around the mild, mintlike herb shiso,
with a sturdy scaffolding of Hendrick's Gin, Fentimans Tonic, and Green
Chartreuse V.E.P. It leaves the head clear for decision-making, like
whether to move into the dining room or spend your night at the bar.
—James O'Brien» Read
"The Chef is Pouring: A GQ Guide to Cocktails," GQ, January 2012
