The Manhattan is becoming a standard at the Runaway Anchor these days. The combo of a nice spicy Rye whiskey with vermouth is great, and a good alternative if you default to the Old Fashioned all the time. If the vermouth part freaks you out, consider this cocktail.
All the standard elements are present, but with two enhancements. First a spoonful of cherry syrup. This is the “soup” your Luxardo cherries are swimming around in. Just grab a barspoon of the sauce and add that to your mixture. The other element is the cinnamon. You don’t dump cinnamon syrup in the mix though. Instead, you add a smoked cinnamon by burning a cinnamon stick and smoking the glass with it. Pay close attention to the build to get it just right. We hope you enjoy this twist on the Manhattan! Cheers!
1 cinnamon stick
2 oz Rye Whiskey (or Bourbon if you don’t want the spicy kick)
¾ oz Sweet Vermouth
1 tsp Maraschino Cherry Syrup
3 dashes of Orange Bitters
Garnish: Maraschino Cherries (Luxardo is great!)
Light the Cinnamon Stick and place on a heat-proof surface, quick placing the coupe glass over the stick to trap in the smoke (this takes some practice!)
In a mixing glass, add bourbon, sweet vermouth, bitters and cherry syrup
Add ice and stir for 30 seconds (give that glass time to get really smoky!)
Turn over the coupe glass and strain the cockail into it
Garnish with a couple maraschino cherries and that burnt cinnamon stick
Source: A Grateful Meal Recipe