Most problems can’t be solved by drinking a cocktail, and its not exactly good practice to go about the cocktail method as a solution to problems in any case. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to say there aren’t special cases. For me, there is one problem whose solution is frequently at the bottom of a cocktail shaker: travel nostalgia.
Show me a gray mid-winter day that doesn’t even have the decency to make pretty snowflakes, and I’ll guarantee you I can be found obsessively dreaming about somewhere I went where I ate or drank something amazing. Have I mentioned I obsess over food more than most people? The solution for this condition is usually for me to try to recreate the gastronomical wonder I can’t stop thinking about. I don’t always have the ingredients or the time to take a culinary tour down memory lane, but my bar is pretty well-stocked. Voila, cocktails can be a solution to some problems!
This recipe is a twist on a traditional Manhattan that has both a fruity brightness and a strong herbal bitterness. It reminds me of several of the thoughtful Italian cocktails we had at my favorite bar in the world on our last trip to Florence. Its not exactly a trip through Tuscany, but its the next best thing.
Bitter Herbal Manhattan
Ingredients
- – 4 oz Rye Whiskey
- – 1 oz Blackberry or Raspberry Liqueur
- – 1/2 oz Amaro
- – 8-10 Dashes Citrus Bitters (I make my own lavender, lemon, and honey bitters, but any bitters with a hint of citrus brightness will work well)
- – Lemon twist plus a spritz of lemon juice
Instructions
- Shake the first 4 ingredients together with ice until well combined.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Finish with a bare spritz of lemon, slide the twist around the rim to add an extra layer of citrus to the experience.
- Enjoy.
