This week’s cocktail is one that I have put off posting for a while I have lacked a good name for this cocktail. I am still quite unsure about the name, as this does not contain any vermouth, I feel like it should not be called a Manhattan. However, there is a similar cocktail called the Black Manhattan with Averna, another amaro, and whiskey. Thus, considering this and adding to that that the vermouth is an Italian, or southern European, fortified wine that is sweet and is flavoured with herbs, amari seems to be a decent substitute.
The inspiration for this cocktail was that I had a bottle of Amaro Abano at hand, which I bought because I wanted to try it. Having known about the Black Manhattan as mentioned before. Further, after having looked at Luxardo’s website that displays another similar cocktail, that they call the Kentucky Likker and I should probably also use as a name for this. I wanted to make something similar. Not being the biggest fan of bourbon, I wanted the proportions to be heavy on the amaro, meaning I upped the whiskey to amaro ratio from 2:1 in the case of the Black Manhattan or 3:2 in the Kentucky Likker case to 1:1. For me, this makes the cocktail quite a bit better from the ratios that have more whiskey, that I have tried and not completely liked before. Though there is not a single right way. I chose to use bourbon because I think it is a bit sweeter, less spicy that balances in a nice way in this cocktail. Not wanting to add much more spice than the amaro I chose to use orange bitters instead, where a generous measure is quite nice. In all, it is a nice cocktail but I would not move out of my way to get it. If you have Amaro Abano at hand to experiment with, I would definitely give this a try, if not, I would not bother with it.
My Recipe:
- 1.5 oz (4.5 cl) Bourbon
- 1.5 oz (4.5 cl) Amaro Abano
- 3 dashes Orange Bitters
Add the ingredients to a mixing glass with ice, stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
