Meet Ila Edwards, bar chef and curious cocktail aficionado

- Ila Edwards is the creative mind behind the bar at The Table Creekside on Phillippi Creek. In this picturesque setting, Ila hand-fashions fresh, seasonal and innovative cocktail recipes daily. Every other week on This Week in Sarasota, Ila will share her latest inspiration with you mixologists at home.Call me a curious kid, a thinker on all food and drink from a very young age.

I grew up in Kentucky, where infusing flavors into distilled spirits was just part of the family genes. I began to wonder: If a distiller could make cucumber vodka, why couldn’t I?

When I first started infusing liquors, I honestly went into it somewhat blind. I understand and have actually distilled alcohol before, but capturing the flavor balance by emphasizing each ingredient can be quite complex.

I wouldn’t think about adding any unnatural ingredients to my creations. When I came to work at The Table Creekside, I had the good fortune to find fresh farm produce, herbs and organic flavors at my disposal to enhance local spirits. I also came armed with a whole lot of passion and a dream. My boss at The Table Creekside not only gave me two thumbs up on my infusion project; he gave me Mason jars, baskets of beautiful vegetables and fruits and the title of Bar Chef.

After three days, my firstborn entered the world. I named it Ila’s Homemade Cucumber-Infused Vodka. Liquor by itself is usually harsh and unpleasurable for some people, but the natural flavors that I extracted from fresh, mostly organic fruits and herbs had people with sensitive palates enjoying my infusions on the rocks.

From here the story gets even more interesting. Let me tell you how I created the best and most refreshing martini in Sarasota---or at least that's what Judi Gallagher, Jack-Littman Quinn and Abby Weingarten have said in their articles.Looking for a quick, cold drink one afternoon on my way to the restaurant, I stopped at a nearby store to grab something off-the-wall and different to cool my thirst. There it was, something unique at the time: aloe vera juice. The second I tried it, I knew this was meant for mixing up something amazing for our bar at The Table.

Sure enough, the combination of my new cucumber-infused vodka, aloe vera juice and a splash of simple syrup became the Tantra martini, our best-seller and still a house favorite.

The Tantra

3 oz. cucumber-infused vodka

2 oz. aloe vera juice

splash of simple syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a well-chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cucumber twist and your favorite seasonal fruit.

This first success and accolades for my “new baby” fueled my creativity and passion to experiment with even more ingredients and liquors. The sky was the limit, and still is as far as I am concerned. My new vision for crafting infused spirits with bright flavors and subtle notes continues each day.

I invite you to take this journey with me as I create, shake, stir and share---I am pleased to say---a new family of cocktails and infused spirits.