Best Cocktail Named After A Writer At The Weekly (Ignore Anything You Might Have Just Read) (2023)

May The Schmalz Be With You

Vesuvio, 6th and Junipero, Carmel, (831) 625‑1766, chefpepe.com

Imagine a cocktail of the people, for the people. It’s a cocktail that doesn’t lack sophistication, but prefers the company of those who live life daily. May the Schmalz be with You takes its cue from untamed nature – a combination of tequila, Aperol and Pavan, with a bite of lemon zest and a dollop of jam for sweetness. Yet this is a cocktail with a ready smile, one that is instantly comfortable. One can easily lounge with it on a football Sunday. This is bartender Anthony Vitacca at his best, a sip that could never stoop to the level of, say, Dave Faries.