Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine, October 2022
Story and Photos by Gail G. Collins
Cocktails have made a comeback in all the best ways, not serving merely as an aperatif or digestif. Today, there is no need to order wine with a meal when a classy cocktail pairs perfectly.
“Cocktails are complementary to cuisine,” agrees Ardi Dulaku, assistant director of food and beverage at SaltRock Southwest Kitchen. Cultivating locally inspired fresh ingredients, he adds, “Cocktails are a really good dance partner.”
Harmonizing flavor profiles is key with the choice to match or compliment qualities in a dish. Acidity in a drink can slice through fattiness while a beverage’s floral or herbaceous aspects can emphasize the savory or vegetal elements of food.
Also, consider crafting a cocktail around a base spirit the way a smoky mezcal embraces chocolate.
“In the Oaxacan Negroni, the mezcal is infused with cocoa nibs, which releases fat for a silky mouth feel, like mole,” Dulaku said.
Or focus on reinforcing an ingredient, such as apple. SaltRock juices a green apple over a guest’s selection of spirit with lemon oil on ice as a cool concept. “A green apple has the perfect structure of acid, sweet and fruitiness to balance any spirit,” Dulaku suggests.
Finally, stacking cuisine and cocktails ethnically also heightens the senses as a margarita echoes the generous squeeze of lime on tacos.
SaltRock Southwest Kitchen is the signature restaurant for Amara Resort and Spa in Sedona. Tucked along the banks of Oak Creek Canyon, the resort offers Southwest sophistication instilled within a modern interpretation of Sedona’s Native American heritage, embodied in its services, amenities and aesthetics. Consistently named one of the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hotels,” Amara offers 100 spacious guestrooms and suites that blend unique design elements with the landscape.
The restaurant acts as the hub of the resort in both its location as an indoor-outdoor venue extending poolside as well as its healthy, flavorful focus on feeding guests. Outfit with pumpkin and beige textures, ruddy stone, a slate bar and illuminated marble tiling, the setting resonates with its Red Rock backdrop.
Likewise, its Sedona-themed, agave cocktail program presents approachable mixology honoring Mexican cultures and spirits, Arizona botanicals and seasons with a nod to California. Dulaku began as head bartender, and has since, laid a foundation, which flatters the menu.
Executive Chef David Duncan is a 40-year resident of the area with training from Northern Arizona University’s hotel and rest management program. The menu is patterned after SaltRock’s light, playful atmosphere, bent on delivering the unexpected.
Sourcing is as regional as possible. “We use what is here in the state for dishes, like trout Veracruz, and support local growers,” Duncan said.
Dishes have shifted from heavy proteins to lighter fare, like the Squash Relleno. The roasted poblano is filled with butternut squash, grilled button onions, golden raisins, cranberries and pepitas, tossed with queso fresco and served with inky forbidden rice—nutty and rich in fiber and antioxidants. The plateful is hearty with contrasts.
“It has heat, richness and sweet undertones,” Duncan said, and noting the health-conscious, “guests can eat a beautiful meal like this in the evening and get up to hike in the morning.”
But what to sip alongside? Botanical Bee boasts Tucson gin produced from Northern Arizona juniper berries, ginger-thyme-infused honey and lemon to elegantly enhance the plant-centric dish.
Agua Chile Verde showcases fresh Mexican wild blue shrimp. Spinach, kale, jalapeños and lime are blitzed and served a green juice smoothie for morning guests, but later, reduced to Hugo Verde marinade for the shrimp. This affords a salty, spicy and sweet kick when mixed with kiwi, mango, avocado and broken corn chips.
Cocktail, anyone? The West Fork Margarita—named for the lush Sedona trail—also teases the recent fire. Jalapeño-infused blanco tequila, mezcal and fresh lime heat up below a chipotle-guajillo, smoky salt rim. The acidity sparks the seafood, explaining the drink’s top seller standing.
Shrimp Tamal deconstructs a tamale as an open-faced, charred polenta base, piled with Mexican tiger shrimp in garlic-lime butter, crispy kale and chimichurri. Light and lively, it yearns for a negroni—mezcal with Campari, stomach-soothing cynar and vermouth, topped with a torched orange slice. An Earl Gray cube releases floral undertones as it melts.
Sweet corn flan with blueberry compote and flirtatious caramel corn scatter is an airy, smooth finish. Pair it with the Cactus Bird—a seasonal clarified milk punch. Its roots date to the 1600s, when lack of refrigeration made brewed beverages safer. The work is in the six-day batch processing. Served over ice with a twist of lemon, the tart tipple offsets the honeyed corn.
Duncan said, “We’ve worked with the bar team’s fantastic cocktail program to cohesively complement one another.” The result: Spirited fare to match the mood of Sedona. NAMLM