Opening on July 4, 2019, the Watershed restaurant in Mill Valley’s renovated downtown lumberyard has certainly seen its fair share of trials and tribulations. It has weathered them by adaptation. Originally opening with just beer and wine, they first sought out to only feature truly unique and interesting wines. (Fabien Réty runs the wine program at Watershed as well as at the adjacent Eddy Bar and Bottle.) Then, the opportunity later came to purchase a full liquor license.
After securing the license and implementing the necessary structural and logistical changes inherent in such a change, it came time to adapt once again.
“We acquired our full liquor license during COVID,” says owner Ged Robertson. “We had built a solid drink program, but I felt we weren’t yet fully aligned with the Watershed mission of using seasonal fresh ingredients — like squeezing fresh juices daily.”
To that end, and for their five-year anniversary, Robertson has brought in the legendary “garden-to-glass” cocktail pioneer Scott Beattie to consult. Beattie is the author of 2008’s “Artisanal Cocktails: Drinks Inspired by the Seasons from the Bar at Cyrus” and is the man behind the bar programs at Barndiva, Goose and Gander, Spoonbar, Meadowood and Hog Island Oyster Co. in San Francisco.
“We knew that Scott would hold our feet to the fire and not let us compromise until we reached our goal,” Robertson says. “He’s also fun to work with and we ended up with an authentic and superior program to what we started with and learned quite a bit in the process.”
Recently, we caught up with Beattie, perhaps the busiest man in all of cocktails, and asked him a few questions.
Q What were you looking to accomplish at Watershed?
A After speaking with the people at Watershed, we thought it best to have a comprehensive cocktail list, one that’s not too long, but thoughtful and appropriate for such a beautiful indoor-outdoor venue at the foot of Mount Tamalpais. I think there is something for everyone on the new cocktail menu, whether you’re looking for a refreshing cucumber Collins with a hint of yuzu on a hot day; or perhaps there’s a chill in the air and you want a lovely Manhattan on a nice clear ice cube.
Q What makes a great bartender?
A As I said to you in our podcast discussion, the difference between a mixologist and a bartender is that a mixologist will know how to make you the Last Word, and a bartender will know that the last words he or she should say to their guests as they exit their establishment are: “Thank you so much for coming tonight. I hope to see you again in the very near future.”
Q When you design cocktails, what elements are you looking for?
A Sometimes I’m fascinated with a new spirit that’s hitting the market. Often, it’s the time of year that inspires me and I’ll find an unusually awesome ingredient at a farmers market. If you’re not utilizing the beautiful strawberries and first-of-season basil at the markets right now, you’re crazy. Whatever the inspiration might be, the objective should always be balance in the glass. While you don’t necessarily need a jigger to make a martini or a vodka tonic at home, if you’re making multi- ingredient cocktails and following a recipe from a book (or one that you found online), it’s extremely important to use a jigger. A quarter ounce difference in lime juice with a margarita or a gimlet will make a tremendous difference in your finished cocktail, so be precise.
Q Conversely, what elements are you trying to avoid?
A Unnecessary ones. As I mentioned before, balance is absolutely crucial, but so too is actually setting out to achieve a particular result. Every item that is listed in the ingredient list of a particular cocktail should be present. You should be able to taste every component. For example, if you list St. Germain as an ingredient in your cocktail and I can’t taste the elderflower then you’re doing something wrong. Either find a way for that ingredient to be present or remove it completely.
Q You’ve done this for 25 years. What keeps you going into work every day?
A My propensity for masochism and incredibly high personal debt. Just kidding! I think that any chef or mixologist will tell you that we get an incredible amount of gratification from pleasing our guests. What keeps me going back is making guests happy but also making sure that I’m taking care of myself. I teach classes at Barndiva, and I can honestly say, at this point in my career, that I take the most gratification out of educating the next generation of bar professionals as well as the folks who are seeking to make better cocktails at home.
Q Any unusual challenges with a Marin County restaurant?
A There’s a lot of golden retrievers in town and I’m still trying to figure out what beverage best suits them on a hot day.
Q What do you feel needs to be said about cocktails, bartending or the restaurant business in general?
A I would tell people in the bartending profession to take their job seriously, but never take yourself too seriously. Cocktail making should be fun. No one likes a mixologist who smugly yet subtly judges your taste in cocktails, or thinks that they know better than you, and doesn’t smile. People will come back to see you if they like you. I would estimate that the deliciousness of your drinks is about 25% of why people will come back. The other 75% is because they enjoy being in your presence. So be present and listen to your guests.
Jeff Burkhart is the author of “Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Vol. I and II,” the host of the Barfly Podcast on iTunes (as seen in the NY Times) and an award-winning bartender at a local restaurant. Follow him at jeffburkhart.net and contact him at jeffbarflyIJ@outlook.com
Watershed’s Last Muse Cocktail (an adaptation of a Hemingway Daquiri)
1 ½ ounces Batiste Silver Rhum
½ ounce Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
¼ ounce simple syrup
¾ ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
½ ounce fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice
1 dash Angostura bitters
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Shake until cold and then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with lime and edible flower.
Note: Batiste Rhum is owned by Marin native Tristan Mermin, and Luxardo Maraschino is imported by San Francisco’s Hotaling & Co. (formerly Anchor Distilling).
