Okay, so I’ve been seeing this “Black Manhattan” cocktail pop up everywhere, and I finally decided to give it a shot myself. I’m no expert bartender, but I do enjoy a good, strong drink at the end of a long day. Here’s how it went down.
Getting My Stuff Together
First, I had to make sure I actually had the ingredients. I already had some decent rye whiskey – always keep that on hand. Then I made sure for the other stuff:
- Rye Whiskey: I used some, not top-shelf but not bottom either.
- Sweet Vermouth: Check and got it.
- Averna: Okay, this was the tricky one. Had to actually go out and get a bottle. It’s some kind of Italian bitter liqueur thing.
- Angostura Bitters: Got it and always use.
- Orange Bitters: Double-check.
- Maraschino Cherry: I’m going to get fancy with this drink!
Mixing It Up
I grabbed my cocktail shaker, a jigger (for measuring…mostly), and a mixing glass. Time to get to work. And, I followed some recipe I found, but I kinda just eyeballed some parts, to be honest.
- I put a handful of ice in the mixing glass.
- I measured like two shots of the rye. Poured that in.
- I added a little less than one shot of the sweet vermouth.
- Then, a half-shot of that Averna. It smelled kinda herbal-y.
- A couple of dashes of the Angostura and one of the orange bitters.
Stirring, Not Shaking
I grabbed my long spoon and stirred it all together. I stirred for a good 30 seconds, I guess? Until I can feel my glass got nice and cold. I’ve heard you’re supposed to stir these kinds of drinks, not shake ’em. Makes it less cloudy, I guess, I don’t really know why.
The Final Touch
I get a chilled coupe glass. Fancy, I know. Strained the drink into the glass, making sure to keep the ice out. Then I dropped in a maraschino cherry. Just one, not trying to make it too sweet.
The Taste Test
And…it was pretty good! It was strong, for sure, but not in a bad way. The whiskey was definitely there, but the Averna gave it this kind of complex, bitter flavor. The sweet vermouth rounded it out. I get why people like these. It’s a grown-up drink. Would I make it again? Yeah, I think I would. It wasn’t too hard, and it felt a little fancy, even if I was just drinking it in my sweatpants.
