Tracking good mocktails in Monterey County is a special kind of fun. The more upscale the venue is, the more it feels obligated to have a “mocktail menu” – usually with no more than two entries. And while many mocktails are perfectly pleasant to drink, one rarely says: “Holy Mama! Let’s come back here next week.”
But what if you already have a winning cocktail? First was the Shark Bite – blue waters (Curaçao) in a large glass also filled with grenadine (blood). Between icebergs swims a sizable gummy bear shark with a swizzle stick spear going right through its body. With rum, Shark Bite makes you feel like a shark harpooner.
Even though Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa didn’t invent Shark Bites, its bar – The Bar at Sea Root – deserves credit for swapping out the rum. It’s a simple step, but it looks great and tastes even better. This version includes ginger beer, lime juice and cherry syrup; it might be the last one that makes the drink so seductive – sweet, but electrified by biting ginger beer. The shark may be dead, but its death is cherry sweet. Served on a black napkin and with a wide black straw, the drink stands out.
The bar itself is worth visiting. Its surroundings are casual – a kiosk with beverages, groups of comfortable chairs and a few musicians playing jazz. The bar has one more mocktail in the menu. It contains passion flower, orange and guava.