Manhattan

I always thought that I strongly disliked Manhattans, up until a few years ago when I discovered that I was confusing a Manhattan with an Old Fashioned. And once I’d had an Old Fashioned that was made with top-shelf ingredients, I found that I actually enjoyed those, too. All of this is to say that the right combination and quality of ingredients can really make or break your cocktail experience.

Thankfully, my friend Dave Kirkland, proprietor and chef at Turn here in St. Louis has a wonderful palette for both food and drink. (Seriously, it’s lit over there!)

Once of the first recipes we made during our mocktail creation sesh was a Manhattan, an endlessly classy drink, that is delightful and strong when made with booze, and also delightful when made without. (My motto is two proper cocktails should put you on the dance floor and four should put you under the table.)

Enjoy!

Manhattan

1 jig “whiskey” (Lyre’s American Malt)

1 jig French vermouth (Lyre’s Aperitif Rosso)

A splash of maraschino cherry syrup

2 dashes of bitters (optional)

Maraschino cherry (garnish)

Directions: Excepting the cherries, add the ingredients into a tall glass or shaker over ice and STIR (even in a shaker). Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry or three :)