After just one sip I was ready to announce the Winter Sur at Post Ranch Inn‘s eminent restaurant, Sierra Mar, Lady Holiday‘s Drink Of The Year. I quickly realized the refreshing cocktail—with an organic vodka base and locally sourced orange and lemon juices and a sugar rim dusted with Buddha’s hand rind—had a moniker for the winter season and retreated to naming it Drink Of The Season. Turns out we weren’t the only ones loving the Winter Sur. “It’s been so well received we’re keeping it on the menu and modifying it per season,” Sarah Kabat, manager and sommelier at Sierra Mar shared with us.
Perched on a cliff in Big Sur, California, Sierra Mar boasts almost 180-degree ocean views 1,200 feet above the Pacific. The property is renowned for its tranquil healing effects and Sierra Mar’s chef, John Cox, leads a team who are enthusiastically in the pursuit of serving local and micro regional ingredients in original and inventive ways. The Winter Sur is a classic example of how a few seasonally ripe and locally grown ingredients can come together to produce a harmony of incredible flavor.
So, we’re delighted to announce the Winter Sur at Sierra Mar, Post Ranch Inn Lady Holiday’s Drink Of The Year. To celebrate, we asked Sarah if she’d share the delicious recipe with our readers. We highly suggest visiting Sierra Mar in picturesque Big Sur, California just for the experience itself, but when you mix this recipe at home be sure to try sourcing all ingredients locally—you’ll truly taste the difference! Enjoy!
Love,
Photography by Aaron R. Thomas, photo of Winter Sur courtesy of Post Ranch Inn.
- 2 oz. fresh orange juice (Sierra Mar sources theirs from a local co-op in Big Sur)
- .5 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
- .5 oz. Cointreau
- 1.5 oz. Tru organic vodka
- two parts sugar
- one part Buddha's hand zest or lemon zest
- sprig Rosemary (Sierra Mar picks theirs and the buds/flowers from their property)
- 2-3 Rosemary buds or flowers
- In a cocktail shaker combine all cocktail ingredients with ice. Shake until blended and then strain into prepared Riedel O stemless wine tumblers.
- mix two parts sugar with one part finely grated Buddha’s hand (or lemon) zest and rim Riedel O stemless wine tumbler—”We chose the Riedel O stemless wine tumbler for its whimsical, atrium-like appeal,” says Sarah Kabat, manager and sommelier at Post Ranch Inn’s Sierra Mar.
- To garnish, drop one sprig of Rosemary along with 2-3 Rosemary buds or flowers. The oils from the Rosemary ever so gently infuse a lovely aroma to this perfect any day of the year cocktail. Enjoy!
- Seasonal tip: Sierra Mar will be modifying the Winter Sur for spring by substituting OJ for Blood orange juice and replacing Buddha’s hand with orange zest in the sugar rim.
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So glad you like the site and enjoyed the recipe! Let us know how it goes if you try it at home! 🙂
Thank you and glad you enjoy! Love, LH
[…] With a menu reflective of what’s in season, that question is the essence of Sierra Mar at Post Ranch Inn; it’s an incredibly refreshing culinary experience. Beginning with Mickey Muennig’s mid-century modern architecture, which for the design world represented an era of innovation and possibilities—Lautner and Lloyd Wright were doing things so completely revolutionary in the realm of architecture for their time that it pushed the limits and advanced the industry as a whole. And this excitement for the new-modern and the “organic architecture” that creates an instant zen with one’s environment is encapsulated in Sierra Mar’s dining room thanks to Muennig—You feel totally futuristic, yet at one with the earth. To complete the experience the service is impeccable; wine list is comprehensive; and the cocktails are so good we named the Winter Sur Lady Holiday‘s Drink Of The Year. […]
[…] With a menu reflective of what’s in season, that question is the essence of Sierra Mar at Post Ranch Inn; it’s an incredibly refreshing culinary experience. Beginning with Mickey Muennig’s mid-century modern architecture, which for the design world represented an era of innovation and possibilities—Lautner and Lloyd Wright were doing things so completely revolutionary in the realm of architecture for their time that it pushed the limits and advanced the industry as a whole. And this excitement for the new-modern and the “organic architecture” that creates an instant zen with one’s environment is encapsulated in Sierra Mar’s dining room thanks to Muennig—You feel totally futuristic, yet at one with the earth. To complete the experience the service is impeccable; wine list is comprehensive; and the cocktails are so good we named the Winter Sur Lady Holiday‘s Drink Of The Year. […]