JUSTIN ITO-ADLER, ROCCA KITCHEN & BAR
Hometown: Belmont
Past life: Paralegal
Drink of choice: Strada 6A Ito-Adler’s passion for mixing it up led to a second career as Rocca’s bartender after the Bowdoin College graduate realized being a paralegal wasn’t for him. Called to grow the cocktail menu to match the creative cuisine of executive chef Tiffani Faison, Ito-Adler knows how to respect what works.
Case in point: the Strada 6A, a Cape Codder with a twist. “The pear vodka adds a little depth and sweetness,” says Ito-Adler. Toss in muddled basil leaves with fresh lime and a splash of ginger beer, and you have a drink fit for the Amalfi Coast.
STRADA 6A
Ingredients:
3 oz. Grey Goose vodka 1 oz. Grey Goose La Poire vodka 2 oz. cranberry juice 3 or 4 fresh basil leaves 2 wedges of fresh lime Splash of ginger beer
Directions:
In a martini shaker, muddle the basil and limes. Add ice, vodka and cranberry juice; shake vigorously. Pour into a double old-fashioned or tumbler-style glass. Top with more ice, if necessary, and just a splash of ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wheel and sip stick.
STEPHANIE LAURIA, CITY BAR, THE LENOX
Hometown: Revere
Past life: Paralegal
Drink of choice: Bombay Sapphire Collins At the Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation charitable event last year, Lauria served Bombay Sapphire’s version of the classic Tom Collins. “There was a line of people ages 22 to 60 waiting for that drink,” she says. A bartender in Boston for more than 20 years, Lauria knows the reason behind this version’s popularity: “Some gins overpower—Bombay Sapphire is not overbearing. It blends very well.”
BOMBAY SAPPHIRE COLLINS
Ingredients:
1 1⁄2 parts Bombay Sapphire gin 1⁄2 part fresh-squeezed lemon juice 3⁄4 part simple syrup 3 parts club soda
Directions:
Pour first three ingredients into a collins glass with ice and stir. Add more ice, top with club soda, and stir well once more. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
