Rosine’s is a beloved family restaurant, but guess what? The craft cocktails are another draw.

Without a menu of signature cocktails on the table, guests might never know Rosine’s Restaurant serves good stiff drinks.

“It’s incredible what we can produce without a bar,” says John Culcasi, who creates the recipes and changes up the menu – seasonally, with a bonus round for Christmas. The new fall lineup will arrive in a few weeks. For the trailing end of summer, one can still sample a margarita freshened with muddled strawberries or the popular Mango Mule, among others, all prepared back of the house.

John’s Old Fashioned is Culcasi’s simple tweak of the classic cocktail. Notes of toasted wood drift into impressions of cured cherry and orange zest – rich and bittersweet. Instead of the clean simplicity of bar syrup, he creates a treacle from demerara sugar that blends into and soothes the bourbon. La Rosina is an homage to the family matriarch and restaurant namesake. Based on the Cosmopolitan, but with citrus liqueur and a float of prosecco, it is bright, brisk and festive, yet with a depth to the fruit.

“That’s my biggest thing – balance,” Culcasi says of his cocktail philosophy.

Although Rosine’s received its liquor license eight years ago, Culcasi says people are still surprised to find a cocktail menu, with no bar in sight. On the other hand, Rosine’s has both cocktail and cake regulars.

As for his favorite? “You can’t go wrong with John’s Old Fashioned,” he says. “Not biased at all.”

ROSINE’S RESTAURANT, 434 Alvarado St., Monterey. 375-1400, rosinesmonterey.com.