An after dinner Manhattan to keep the night going
Sometimes you need a Manhattan that will wake you up.
I’m a fan of the Manhattan. In the right hands, it combines the rich flavour of a good bourbon or rye with the softening influence (and a good whack of complexity) of sweet vermouth. The bitters not only brings the whole thing together, but helps to stimulate the appetite, too.
But I find that it also aids in the digestion of a good meal, punching a hole through one’s heavy dinner — and delivering a welcome impetus to head home and hit the hay.
But sometimes the nightcap call to bed isn’t welcome; this riff on the Manhattan might just offer a compromise.
A little cold drip coffee — in this case, from Little Drippa — gives you a little pick me up without sacrificing flavour, and works well with the cast of ingredients on hand: coffee and whiskey have long been a natural pairing, but add a little cold drip to your sweet vermouth, and it lifts the spices and brings out any chocolate tones present.
You can choose to use aromatic bitters here if you wish, but a pleasant bitter note comes from the Little Drippa, and I think that's sufficent to tie the pieces together.
Cafe Manhattan
Ingredients
- 40ml bourbon
- 20ml sweet vermouth (I used Carpano Antica Formula)
- 20ml Little Drippa
Instructions
- Stir down all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice until very cold.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Adapted from an old recipe for a Cold Drip Manhattan from Mikey Lowe, during his time at The Wild Rover in Surry Hills.
Contact your Amber Beverage representative for more information about Little Drippa, or visit amberbev.com.au.
