Smoked Walnut Manhattan
A Manhattan for four, deepened with a honey-sweetened Marche amaro and walnut liqueur
Ingredients
- 6 dashesXocolatl Mole BittersCocoa and chilli under the walnutSubstitute: A cacao bitters
- 1 ozAmaro SibillaHoney-sweetened and unfiltered, so it carries weightSubstitute: Another honeyed amaro
- 1 ozWalnut LiqueurNux Alpina or similar
- 8 ozSmoked Walnut BourbonBourbon infused with toasted walnuts for a day, then strainedSubstitute: Plain bourbon, with a little more walnut liqueur
Instructions
- Infuse 8 oz bourbon with toasted walnuts for a day, then strain
Room temperature; heat pulls tannin out of the skins
- Combine the bourbon with 1 oz Amaro Sibilla, 1 oz walnut liqueur and 6 dashes Xocolatl Mole bitters in a pitcher
- Fill the pitcher with ice and stir 50 to 60 turns
Four servings are more liquid to chill than one, so this takes longer than it looks
- Strain into four chilled coupes and garnish each with a brandied cherry
Batching for 4 servings
For this many, stir the batch in a pitcher over plenty of ice, then strain into the glasses.
Technique Notes
Stir the batch fifty to sixty turns, which is longer than a single drink and for a reason: four servings is four times the liquid to chill, so the dilution a Manhattan needs takes longer to reach.
Why the Smoked Walnut Manhattan Works
Amaro Sibilla is sweetened with honey rather than sugar and left unfiltered, so it sits heavier than most amari and reads closer to the walnut than to the whiskey. That is what makes an ounce enough across four drinks.