Presented by Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor

Manhattan lovers, come to the dark side with me!

I awoke recently from a three-year sleep. At least, that’s how it felt when I realized that in almost three years of blogging about cocktails I haven’t posted a word about one of my most favorite: the Black Manhattan. Shame on me. 

A handful of friends will attest that I’ve been a Black Manhattan evangelist for longer than I’ve been writing this blog. I can think of at least four local bartenders to whom I’ve introduced it, but there are others (most notably at REDD Rochester—a fine bar surrounded by an equally fine restaurant) who have known and loved this cocktail longer than I have.

A San Francisco bartender named Todd Smith created the Black Manhattan in 2005, while plying his trade at Bourbon & Branch. It’s a riff on the classic Manhattan that simply replaces Italian vermouth (a/k/a sweet vermouth) with Amaro Averna Siciliano (just call it “Averna”) and adds a dash of orange bitters to the usual Angostura bitters. The proportions don’t change; it’s still two parts whiskey (preferably a hearty rye) to one part Averna, stirred (don’t you dare shake a Manhattan!) and garnished with a Maraschino cherry or three. 

Given as I am to science (SCIENCE!!), I’ve done more than a couple of side-by-side comparisons of the classic Manhattan made with the original Italian vermouth (Carpano Antica Formula) and the Black Manhattan.

Carpano Antica, my go-to vermouth for most whiskey cocktails, is the richest, most full-bodied among so-called sweet vermouths—“so-called” because there’s a bitter component to all of them that competes with the “sweet” labeling. However, it’s light-bodied by comparison to Averna. On the nose, Carpano Antica is especially bitter with dominant aromas of currant and notes of allspice, nutmeg, and other baking spices. On the palate, it’s rich with plum, sour cherry, and dark chocolate.

Averna is a complex marriage of nameless herbs, seeds, and other botanicals in neutral spirits, sweetened and then aged a bit. (That, by the way is a workable decision of what any amaro is, although the flavors vary widely.) Its aromas are darker and sweeter than typical sweet vermouth—caramelized sugar, stewed plums, sweet grass, and baking spices, among other things. It’s heavy and mouth-coating, and its flavors are something like a viscous, herbal, flat Coca Cola. 

The sensory difference between classic Manhattans and the Black Manhattan

By comparison, a classic Manhattan is lighter on the tongue and more piercing in flavor than a Black Manhattan. The Black Manhattan is less aromatic, richer, and darker, more brooding than the classic. Since discovering it a few years ago, it’s become my default Manhattan; I still enjoy a classic Manhattan for a change of pace…now and then. I prefer any Manhattan to be served “up,” but if you’re concerned about diluting the alcohol, go ahead and serve it over ice in an Old Fashioned glass.

BLACK MANHATTAN
2 oz American rye whisky of choice
1 oz Amaro Averna Siciliano
1 dash Regans’ Orange Bitters
1 dash Angostura (aromatic) bitters

Before mixing, chill a cocktail coupe or Martini glass. 

Combine the ingredients in a mixing glass two-thirds full of ice. Stir 15 seconds or so to chill the drink well, then strain it into the chilled glass. Garnish with a couple of Luxardo Maraschino cherries on a cocktail pick.

About our Cocktail of the Week partners—shop local and independent!
Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor are less than a mile from each other, on Monroe Avenue near Twelve Corners in Brighton.

Cooks’ World, in business since 1978, is Rochester’s premier retailer of dining, kitchen, and cooking products, including a complete selection of glassware, mixology tools, and accessories for wine and spirits lovers. Follow Cooks’ World on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up here to receive Cooks’ World’s daily email specials and other news. 

Pinnacle Wine & Liquor, in business since 1997, offers a thoughtfully curated selection of spirits and wine from around the world, with a savvy staff to assist in your selection and encourage you along your cocktail and wine journey. Follow Pinnacle on Facebook and Instagram. For the inside track on Pinnacle’s spirits sales, send two text messages to (585)765-7546:
— Text the word “bourbon,” to receive weekly text messages offering the chance to buy rare or allocated whiskies or special prices on popular products.
—Text the word “spirits,” to receive roughly monthly offers on fine spirits other than whiskies.

Shout out to the official supplier of elegant clear ice to the Libation Lounge: My friend Ralph DiTucci of Cristallino Premium Ice and Grace & Disgrace.