“You can’t ask somebody, ‘Hey, make me a cocktail, put my label on it?’ That’s not going to work for chefs,” says Jody Williams, one of two chefs—with partner Rita Sodi—behind Via Carota, the sensational West Village Italian restaurant, and their line of Via Carota Craft Cocktails. For Sodi and Williams, everything is about sourcing, and that of course extends to their classic and sparkling cocktails, like their Classic Negroni, Martini, Paloma, and French 75.
“You have to pick each ingredient,” says Williams, “so that it rises to the level of your perfect drink.” For Sodi and Williams, bringing together the elements of their perfect pre-made cocktail is not unlike making one of their world-famous pastas: “You have the layers of lasagna, meat sauce, bechamel, and parmesan. It is so beautiful,” says Williams.
Via Carota Craft Cocktails grew naturally out of the couple’s restaurants, where popular classic cocktails like Manhattans and Negronis were batched behind the bar. The chefs would then bring them home. “We would have bottles of White Negroni in the refrigerator,” says Williams. When the pandemic hit, and the chefs had to look for other income opportunities, “It planted a little seed.” People wanted them. And so it created an opportunity.
Today, Sodi and Williams’s classic Via Carota Craft Cocktails, like the Margarita, Espresso Martini, and Classic Negroni, as well as their sparkling offerings, like the Sparkling Negroni and Spritz, are available both online and in fine wine and spirits stores around the country. They are available solo or in sets, and arrive in beautiful glass bottles inspired by some of the vintage glasses that populate their famous restaurant.
The cocktails come ready to serve and expertly made, which means you shouldn’t adulterate them, right? Wrong! “Cocktails are meant to be garnished,” says Williams. “Pick your ice, and then however you want to garnish; I love to dip my edge of the glass into salt.”
However you take your Via Carota Craft Cocktail, their unmatched, authentic flavors go back to Williams’ and Sodi’s commitment to know-how and ingredients, whether in their pastas, Negronis, or non-Italian classics: “A lot of my friends are bourbon drinkers,” says Williams. “I love to pour an Old Fashioned, and watch people go, ‘Wow!’”
