Kristin Dunlap Schantz is the only person in the world who knows the recipe for the Swiss Hotel’s signature cocktail, the Glarifee.
The closely guarded family formula — a twist on an Irish coffee — has been passed down through generations, with only one custodian at a time. Dunlap Schantz inherited the recipe from her grandmother, along with a responsibility that carries a whiff of legend, the kind reserved for the Colonel’s 11 herbs and spices. If you’re hoping she might reveal even a hint of what’s in it, think again. Her father, mother and even her husband don’t know the ingredients.
The Glarifee is just one of many well-loved traditions at Sonoma’s Swiss Hotel, one of Wine Country’s last truly historic restaurants. The 175-year-old building, constructed in 1850 for the brother of Gen. Mariano Vallejo, is designated California State Parks Commission Historic Landmark No. 496. And with an unbroken chain of family ownership since 1935, the Swiss — as locals call it — still serves many of the same recipes that have long defined its menu.
For Dunlap Schantz, the place isn’t just historic. It’s home…