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Drinks All Around: Commmunion’s Shakti
Their take on a White Negroni
Look up!
I’d passed by and admired the Sasan — the Miami-ish, deco-ish pink eight story mixed use building in Mission Hills — half a dozen times before I ever went inside. I think the Sasan is one of the loveliest new buildings in a neighborhood that mostly has very nice old ones, and I’m glad to know that the judges for last year’s San Diego Architectural Foundation Orchid award think likewise even if, according to some sources, unhappy neighbors refer to it as “Evil Barbie’s Dream House”, or “Pepto Dismal.”
In all that passing by, I’d persistently failed to notice the restaurant on its top floor until a few weeks ago, when I looked up and saw the sign: Communion (@dinecommunion). My wife and I slipped in without reservations and found a couple of bar seats. I asked the man who came to take our order if he wouldn’t mind providing what I need for this column, i.e. a distinctive drink on (or off) their list, complete with recipe and commentary.
He suggested I ask his neighboring tender at the bar. She demurred and tried to nudge him onward: “He asked you.” But he insisted she speak — because, as I presently learned, Eliza Woodman (@elizawoodman) is not just the Bar Lead here but the creator of its entire seasonal drink menu — this season and every other season. She’s been with Communion, now approaching its one year anniversary, from the beginning. The restaurant, she says, wants to be hyper-local and hyper-seasonal, and she wants a bar program to match that. To stay sharp when she’s not behind the bar, she takes part in about one cocktail competition each month. At the previous month’s tournament (sponsored by Myer’s Rum), she took home 1st place and 15K for what must have been a truly remarkable Mai Tai.
Woodman made me one of her favorites on the menu: her twist on a White Negroni, which she calls “Shakti” and described as “aromatic, exotic, and refined.” Though it comes from the “Direct” section of the cocktail list, I found it a fairly gentle drink, its booziness and bitterness balanced with creaminess from the coconut and citrus from the lime, respectively. Yes, this one will take a bit of commitment and planning, but you might find that it’s worth it.
Here’s how to make it:
1 oz. Bimini Coconut Gin
1 oz. Dolin Blanc Vermouth
½ oz. Cocchi Americano (a wine-based aperitif)
½ oz. Luxardo Bitter Bianco
Batch all of the above ingredients, then add chopped up pandan and unsweetened coconut flakes to the liquor batch. Allow to infuse for at least 12 hours (overnight). Strain afterwards. Before you serve it, you’ll need to have your lime leaf tincture ready. Woodman makes hers with 12 torn up makrut lime leaves and one cup of 100 proof vodka that sits and does its thing for 24 hours to create a unique sort of concentrated bitter. You’ll add 4 drops directly into to the cocktail and then a couple of diffuser sprays on top of it. The drink is served over a large ice cube and garnished with a dried orange slice and a lime leaf.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Drinks All Around: Commmunion’s Shakti
Their take on a White Negroni
Drinks All Around: Commmunion’s Shakti
Their take on a White Negroni
Look up!
I’d passed by and admired the Sasan — the Miami-ish, deco-ish pink eight story mixed use building in Mission Hills — half a dozen times before I ever went inside. I think the Sasan is one of the loveliest new buildings in a neighborhood that mostly has very nice old ones, and I’m glad to know that the judges for last year’s San Diego Architectural Foundation Orchid award think likewise even if, according to some sources, unhappy neighbors refer to it as “Evil Barbie’s Dream House”, or “Pepto Dismal.”
In all that passing by, I’d persistently failed to notice the restaurant on its top floor until a few weeks ago, when I looked up and saw the sign: Communion (@dinecommunion). My wife and I slipped in without reservations and found a couple of bar seats. I asked the man who came to take our order if he wouldn’t mind providing what I need for this column, i.e. a distinctive drink on (or off) their list, complete with recipe and commentary.
He suggested I ask his neighboring tender at the bar. She demurred and tried to nudge him onward: “He asked you.” But he insisted she speak — because, as I presently learned, Eliza Woodman (@elizawoodman) is not just the Bar Lead here but the creator of its entire seasonal drink menu — this season and every other season. She’s been with Communion, now approaching its one year anniversary, from the beginning. The restaurant, she says, wants to be hyper-local and hyper-seasonal, and she wants a bar program to match that. To stay sharp when she’s not behind the bar, she takes part in about one cocktail competition each month. At the previous month’s tournament (sponsored by Myer’s Rum), she took home 1st place and 15K for what must have been a truly remarkable Mai Tai.
Woodman made me one of her favorites on the menu: her twist on a White Negroni, which she calls “Shakti” and described as “aromatic, exotic, and refined.” Though it comes from the “Direct” section of the cocktail list, I found it a fairly gentle drink, its booziness and bitterness balanced with creaminess from the coconut and citrus from the lime, respectively. Yes, this one will take a bit of commitment and planning, but you might find that it’s worth it.
Here’s how to make it:
1 oz. Bimini Coconut Gin
1 oz. Dolin Blanc Vermouth
½ oz. Cocchi Americano (a wine-based aperitif)
½ oz. Luxardo Bitter Bianco
Batch all of the above ingredients, then add chopped up pandan and unsweetened coconut flakes to the liquor batch. Allow to infuse for at least 12 hours (overnight). Strain afterwards. Before you serve it, you’ll need to have your lime leaf tincture ready. Woodman makes hers with 12 torn up makrut lime leaves and one cup of 100 proof vodka that sits and does its thing for 24 hours to create a unique sort of concentrated bitter. You’ll add 4 drops directly into to the cocktail and then a couple of diffuser sprays on top of it. The drink is served over a large ice cube and garnished with a dried orange slice and a lime leaf.
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