Amber Garcia, bar manager at Tana, has spent more than 20 years sharpening her fine dining cocktail skills, learning to pay attention to detail and flavor. Those essential traits helped her open Tana’s bar, a welcoming spot which beckons guests to settle in. “In the past,” she noted, “it was taboo to sit and eat at the bar at fancy places, but not anymore.” Tana’s cuisine makes it a destination, but Amber insists, “There’s no stiff service here. We have personality.” During the pandemic, she became a mom (to twins!) and is grateful for her management’s support. “You have to have life outside of work. Fortunately, the owners understand that families come first. Not everywhere does.” Amber’s bartending style isn’t limited to fine dining. Once a week she pulls a shift at her local watering hole, The Homedale Inn in Lakeview. “It’s nice to unwind there on Fridays and tell people, “Sorry, I don’t have mint!”
You Say Tomato
1 ½ ounces house made tomato shrub*
½ ounce Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret gin
1 ½ ounces Ferdinand’s Saar or Chazalettes dry vermouth
Prosecco and Club Soda to top
Garnish: basil leaf and cherry tomato
Tomato Shrub
Place one-pint cherry tomatoes in a bowl and cover them with sugar. Let sit overnight in the refrigerator. This will create a “tomato water syrup.” Strain the resulting syrup (discarding the tomatoes) and mix with an equal part of rice vinegar. Mixture keeps in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Add the shrub, gin and vermouth to a shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled. Double strain into a wine glass. Top with prosecco and a splash of soda, using more prosecco than soda. Garnish with tomato and basil.
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