46 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY DECEMBER 11-17, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com CHILL Maybe it’s obvious from the menu, but here’s something to know about Spotted Duck Restaurant: There is a license to serve only beer and wine, not liquor. That might sound like a constraint, but to a chef like Jerry Regester, it’s an invitation to experiment. “It forces you to become more creative and think outside the box,” he says. He incorporates sake for an extra bite, and also an added lemony tone to his Yuzu Rose Shandy. “You want it to still taste alcoholic,” Regester explains. A seasonal sake cocktail, the Autumn Apple, features cinnamon sake, apple cider and ginger shrub. A permanent menu fixture is the Imperial Sour Plum with ume plum sake and berliner weisse tart cherry beer. Regester found that the sour beer on tap wasn’t selling as fast as, say, an IPA. “I just sat here one night, goofing around,” he recalls. To balance the tartness of the sour beer, he tried the sweet plum sake, and voila: “It’s just really good in there—it fit.” To perfect the drink he eventually made a syrup infused with plum powder, adding to the complex fruitiness. The idea is to make drinks that are interesting and unique. “I don’t do things everyone’s expecting,” Regester explains. “I’m not going to put Manhattan in parentheses. The expectation is the bite of the alcohol you can’t get when you have a beer and wine license.” Instead, it’s something else entirely, a depth and flavor profile he’s invented that you are unlikely to find anywhere else. Spotted Duck, 542 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. (831) 920-2662, spottedduckpg.com. With a Twist Beer and sake cocktails at Spotted Duck take an unusual and flavorful direction. By Sara Rubin SEND IDEAS TO: chill@montereycountynow.com SARA RUBIN Carmel Tasting Room San Carlos & 7th • 831.626.WINE (9463) Estate Winery & Tasting Room 1972 Hobson Ave, Greenfield SCHEIDVINEYARDS.COM Enjoyfriends. sips. Pouring daily from 12pm OCEAN AVE 7TH AVE 8TH AVE MISSION ST Carmel Plaza Sunset Community & Cultural Center SAN CARLOS ST DOLORES ST ♦ 3 Card Poker ♠ Century 21st No Bust Black Jack ♣ Texas Hold’em ♥ FULL BAR! BLACKJACK BONUS POINTS PAYS UP TO $20,000 SMALL TOWN BIG PAYOUTS! 1-800-Gambler • GEAR-000383, GEAR-000376, GEAR-000375 The Marina Club Casino ensures the safety and security of all guests and team members at all times, while providing exceptional service. 204 Carmel Ave. Marina 831-384-0925 casinomonterey.com ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦ Just minutes from Downtown Monterey Where Monterey Comes To Play
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