A Toast to Ten Years

A Conversation with Gabrielle Alters

In Edible Northeast Florida’s debut issue, Gabrielle Alters helped define the culinary cocktail with her kitchen-inspired beverages at Restaurant Medure in Ponte Vedra. A decade later, she is now co-owner of Rue Saint-Marc, the restaurant she started with her husband Chef Scott Alters, and they have a new concept called Saleya in the works. Her approach to seasonal sipping, however, remains as imaginative and grounded as ever. We caught up with Gabrielle in between shifts to see how she continues to excite her customers’ senses of sight, smell and, ultimately, taste.

It’s been ten years since you shared your take on shrubs and your quest for flavorful combinations. How has your creative process evolved since that first recipe?

Gabrielle Alters: I still utilize shrubs throughout the year on my menu here at Rue, but that preservation process has inspired new ways to preserve flavors. I’m using techniques like making sous vide infusions, frozen fruit or tea flavored ice and pickling.

Looking back at your original feature, what elements of your style have stayed true—and what has completely transformed?

GA: I build drinks a bit differently these days. I used to begin with a familiar spirit as the base of a drink recipe and modify by adding liqueurs, syrups, vermouths, amari and such. Now I find myself using vermouths, amari and aperitifs as the base of my drinks more often and adding a spirit as a modifier to the recipe.

How has your partnership with Chef Scott, both in business and personally, influenced the way you build a drink from concept to glass?

GA: I have learned a lot from cooking with my husband over the past 15 years. He has always inspired me to make my own products from scratch rather than purchase them. My inspiration usually starts with crafting something in the kitchen first, such as a foam, cordial, shrub, orgeat, crème de coconut or some variety of pickled fruit or vegetable.

Rue Saint-Marc feels curated in every sense. How does the setting inspire your seasonal creations?

GA: Everything we do here is very well thought out. Every ingredient that is in your cocktail should be noticeable on your palate, without being overbearing. I think about how the guests are going to feel when they enjoy their drink. Every aspect of the beverage matters: what glass it’s served in, the texture it has, what type of ice is used and especially what it looks like. You eat and DRINK with your eyes first!

As you prepare to open your next venture, how are you thinking differently about crafting your program and the drink experience?

GA: The cocktail program at Saleya will be a bit more streamlined towards Negroni and Spritz inspired cocktails, focusing on the aperitif in a convivial atmosphere.

What inspired the ingredients and presentation for this cocktail?

GA: Everyone loves a good watermelon margarita, right? I wanted to create a more elegant and stimulating version. The cocktail is vermouth forward, has a touch of smokiness from mezcal and just the right amount of watermelon.