Cocktails for summer: Tuyet's Elixir

First someone decreed that bartender was a term too modest to encompass the care being devoted to cocktails. The newly dubbed mixologists—who all thought to don leather aprons and sport facial hair fads borrowed from the 19th century—then set to work crafting meticulous concoctions that might consume 20 minutes in creation.

Well, it appears that the pendulum has settled once again. The current trend is for cocktails that are intricate, but without the tedium. As Tuyet Vitacca at Jacks Monterey in the Portola Hotel explains, “it doesn’t have to have crazy ingredients to be a good cocktail.”

In February, Restaurant Hospitality magazine named her Asian Persuasion as one of the top 10 craft cocktails served at independent restaurants nationwide. But there’s another one on the menu deserving of the lead role in kicking off the Weekly’s “cocktails for summer” series.

Tuyet’s Elixir is fresh and light with a tropical flourish that is fruity and floral. Yet a notion of bitter zest slinks in the background, preventing the sip from becoming too carefree. A soft impression of cola nut hovers, cushioning a brisk citrus streak.

The flavors layer on the palate, coat by coat until a candied sensation lingers between sips. One might even believe coconut flits along with all of this.

Coconut is not part of Vitacca’s recipe, however. She uses Elyx vodka as the base, which lends a creamy-sweet note. Into this Vitacca blends pineapple puree spiked with freshly squeezed lemon juice, mint honey and hibiscus bitters.

“I grew up in Hawaii,” she explains. “We use a lot of hibiscus flowers.”

The bitters give a bite, but balance it with floral pleasantries. It also tips the cocktail from Vitacca’s original idea of an easy sipper to something both cool and refined. That’s right—she was heading toward a novice drink, but took a mixologist turn, without going too crazy.

With a splash of soda, it takes five ingredients and no muddling at the bar. Tuyet’s Elixir glows with the hue of the sun as it begins to sink toward the palms—warm, golden amber; the splendor of pineapple and lemon. Everything plays in concert.

“It’s not too sweet, not too tart,” she observes. “Guests seem to enjoy it.”

Not a bad way to start a summer evening. 

Jacks Monterey is a 2 Portola Plaza (in the Portola Hotel & Spa), Monterey. 649-7830, portolahotel.com