Gitane Reveals New Bar Manager and Cocktail Menu

Aubrie Pick

The Doblon Cocktail

​With Alex Smith's departure to Honor Bar, Gitane has found a new bar manager, and one who is no stranger to the restaurant: Ramon Garcia, who worked behind the bar during both Carlo Splendorini and Alex Smith's tenures, has taken the position and already implemented a new simplified sherry-based menu.

Included are classics like the Boothby ($10, cava, bourbon, sweet vermouth, angostura bitters) and the Martinez ($13, gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, orange bitters), both surprisingly food friendly renditions. Working with the kitchen to develop better integration of the food and bar menus, Garcia is topping out the featured cocktails at no higher than 20% alcohol by volume (abv).

The rest of the menu is like a sherry cocktail mix-tape, with the greatest hits from sherry cocktail competitions. Featured are locals like Jacques Bezuidenhout's La Pearla ($12, reposado tequila, manzanilla sherry, pear liqueur) and Neyah White's Sherry Shrub ($9, barbadillo manzanilla sherry, seasonal house shrub, lemon peel), but also the deliciously drinkable Doblón ($14, Yamazaki 12 year, fino sherry, fresh lemon, honey syrup) from Anthony Schmidt of San Diego's Noble Experiment. Although they won't hand you this unless you ask for it, they've created an encyclopedia of each cocktail, describing the ingredients, origins, and story behind the drinks.

Everything Ramon Garcia is serving is perfectly balanced and well-made, and we're really curious to see his own cocktail creations show up on the menu.

Gitane, 6 Claude (at Sutter), 788-6620