Thirsty Thursday
The Wine Sisters’ Manhattan
When the weather turns cool – and ooh, boy, it is nippy out in Toronto! – we exchange our beloved gin and tonics for the rich and smokey flavours of bourbon, vermouth and a few dashes of Angostura.
But, much to our chagrin, not everyone can make a good one. Hopefully this recipe will mean you won’t be one of them.
- 2 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon
- 3/4 oz. sweet vermouth
- 5 dashes Angostura bitters
- Good quality Marashino cherries (make your own with this recipe from Food Network here)
- Orange rind (our preferred garnish. Some like both, but we think it’s a bit superfluous)
- Ice
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add whiskey and vermouth and shake to chill. Zest an orange (preferrably organic and fresh – you don’t want to squeeze pesticides into your beautiful cocktail) to get a one-inch wide twist. Flame* the peel over a rocks glass filled with ice, an wipe along the rim, putting it into the glass. Strain the shaker into the glass and drink!
*This is a super cool party trick that’s as impressive in showmanship as it is in taste (see a you tube demo here):
First cut a thick strip of peel from a fresh orange. Next, holding the coloured side down and a few inches from the glass, light a match and squeeze the orange peel. The release of the oils will cause a quick flash of fire. Wipe the orange peel around the rim of a glass and drop in.