New York’s Via Carota Restaurant Launches A Craft Cocktail Brand

In the eight years since opening, Via Carota has attained the status of local legend. The stylish trattoria in Manhattan’s West Village was conceived by James Beard Award-winning chefs Jody Williams and Rita Sodi as an edible love letter to Italy. It’s a cozy neighborhood spot that just so happens to attract a global audience. One local critic even went so far as to name it New York’s “most perfect restaurant.” And now its talented team of tastemakers is hoping to re-create that same level of success in the bottled cocktail space. This week marks the launch of Via Carota Craft Cocktails, a line of ready-to-drink classics which will soon be available at fine liquor shops across the land.

The initial portfolio consists of six expressions in total, grouped into three “families”: the Negronis, with a Classic and White variation; the Bourbon-Based, including an Old Fashioned and a Signature Manhattan; and the Martini—both standard and in espresso form. Each offering is priced at $40 and housed in artful decanters designed by industry standouts Stranger & Stranger.

“Our vision with Via Carota Craft Cocktails is to allow people to enjoy the magic of a festive cocktail hour or the warmth of a dinner with friends, wherever life finds them,” according to Bart Silvestro, CEO for the brand. “Working in the industry, I’ve had a front-row seat to watch the taste elevation of the American palate over the past two decades, from restaurants to wine and beer, and my team and I are energized by the opportunity to elevate the cocktail occasion as well.”

In order to do so the team had to come correct. RTDs have been crowding shelves for several years now, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to makes waves amidst such saturation. Via Carota, however, is no stranger to standing out in a crowd. After all, this is an Italian restaurant that receives special recognition in a city known for Italian restaurants. To apply that same sense of separation in the drinks space, the nascent brand is leveraging top-shelf spirits and modifiers for its preparations. And the bar team perfected its ratios through careful trial and error. Developing not just a satisfying, instantly recognizable taste profile for each of these classics, but also doing so in a way that they can be rendered in bottle form with shelf stability.

“We’ve worked for years to perfect our recipes in the kitchen and behind the bar,” says co-founder Rita Sodi. We’re honored that VCCC can take this inspiration and allow consumers to experience the finest craft cocktails, anywhere.”

According to Jody Williams, this is just the beginning. The portfolio is expected to expand to include more flavors before year’s end, and she’s hopeful that these drinks can afford a small taste of Via Carota to fans of the eatery who happen to live far beyond the Five Boroughs.

“We work tirelessly in the restaurant to have our guests taste the soul, the culture, and the emotion infused into every bite of food and sip of a drink,” she adds. “Now they can enjoy it by the bottle”