Black Manhattan

In recent times I've grown less fond of the standard Manhattan because most sweet vermouths seem to taste overly medicinal and herbal. Then someone told me about the Black Manhattan, which replaces the vermouth with the Italian Averna amaro. To me it tastes richer and smoother, with hints of liquorice and caramel.

Black Manhattan

2 oz rye whiskey
1 oz Averna amaro
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash orange bitters
A maraschino cherry to garnish

Stir the ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass. Drop in the cherry.

Spritz

I know most people don't need to follow a recipe to make a spritz, but I like to know I have one, so here it is.

Spritz

3 oz dry prosecco
2 oz Aperol (or Primo or any other bitter amaro or aperitif)
1 oz sparkling water
Orange or grapefruit slice for serving

Build the ingredients in a large wine glass over ice. Stir, garnish, serve.

Gimlet (gin)

I've recently become obsessed with a Salted Lime Leaf Gimlet made at a bar down the road in Austin. They use gin and a perfectly clear "salted lime leaf cordial", served in a nick and nora glass with a salted rim. It pairs amazingly with their $1 happy hour oysters. This version of a gimlet is simpler, and almost as delicious.

Gimlet

2 oz gin
0.75 oz lime juice
0.75 oz simple syrup
Pinch of salt

Shake ingredients in a shaker with ice. Double strain into a nick and nora glass.

I recently discovered there is a class of spirit called "coastal gins", which lean into marine-adjacent ingredients and saline notes. Mermaid Gin from the Isle of Wight, with its "hint of sea air" tasting note, works great in the recipe above. The bottle looks pretty cool too.

Whiskey Sour

Sometimes I want a whiskey cocktail but I don't want an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan. What to do? Probably make one of these...

Whiskey Sour

2 oz bourbon

1 oz lemon juice

2/3 oz simple syrup

3 dashes Angostura bitters

Pinch of salt

0.5 oz egg white (or 3 dashes Fee Brothers Fee Foam)

Shake all ingredients with ice in a shaker. Strain. Get rid of the ice. Shake again (dry shake). Strain into an Old Fashioned glass filled with ice.

I like the foamy head and the hint of salinity here.

Margarita

I keep tweaking the proportions to try to hit the perfect balance of citrus, sweet, and booze. Work in progress, but here's my current preference:

Margarita

1.5 oz tequila
1 oz lime juice
0.5 oz orange liqueur 

0.5 oz simple syrup

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a rocks glass with new ice.

Not massively different to my 2010 recipe, but incrementally better, I think.

For a spicy version, slice up a couple of jalapenos and add them to a large jar of tequila for a day or two before straining the infused booze and following the recipe above.

Paper Plane

The Paper Plane, created in Chicago in 2008, has been described as a modern classic, and I won't argue. It's like a whiskey sour with more going on. The proper recipe asks for equal parts of four ingredients: bourbon (I recommend choosing something 100 proof or higher), Amaro Nonino* (an Italian bittersweet liqueur), Aperol, and lemon juice. I prefer it a touch less bitter and citrussy so my amended version dials down the Aperol and lemon.

Paper Plane

0.75 oz bourbon

0.75 oz Amaro Nonino

0.5 oz Aperol

0.5 oz lemon juice

Shake ingredients furiously with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

*Amaro Nonino is made from herbs, spices, fruit, berries and roots enriched with a grape distillate, and aged more than 12 months in casks.

Fino Martini

 

A new twist on the gin martini involves ditching the dry vermouth and replacing it with fino sherry, giving the drink a savory, almondy, almost saline character. I found the following recipe in an issue of Bon Appétit.

Fino Martini

2 oz gin (Plymouth works great)

0.75 oz fino sherry

Dash of orange bitters

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with olives.