
Ingredients
- 3 dashesFee Brothers Chocolate BittersRich chocolate depthSubstitute: Bittercube Blackstrap
- 1 ozSweet VermouthItalian sweet vermouthSubstitute: Carpano Antica
- 2 ozRye WhiskeyUse quality ryeSubstitute: Bourbon acceptable
Instructions
- Add 2 oz rye whiskey and 1 oz sweet vermouth to mixing glass
- Add 3 dashes Fee Brothers Chocolate Bitters
- Fill with ice and stir until well chilled
- Strain into chilled coupe glass
Pre-chill glass
- Express orange peel oils over drink and garnish
Technique Notes
Stir until well chilled. Chocolate bitters read as sweet when warm and only turn dry and cocoa-like once cold.
Why the Chocolate Manhattan Works
Chocolate bitters trade Angostura's clove-and-gentian backbone for cacao and roasted notes that flatter rye's grain spice and sweet vermouth's vanilla. The Manhattan structure is unchanged; only the aromatic register shifts, pulling the drink toward dessert without adding sugar.