2023 Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 21 – Red Wine Manhattan. A dry and full-bodied red wine adds tannins to the classic Manhattan. A hint of syrup from the cherry jar ups the ante on the dark, ripe fruit flavour.
In spite of the relatively small changes to the original format of 2:1 whisky to sweet vermouth, this version reads wildly different on the palate. Opt for a Cabernet Sauvignon that you enjoy to impart the right flavour and mouthfeel.
People often assume that I drink cocktails exclusively but I typically only indulge in a well-crafted tipple before or after dinner. I’ve never been a big beer drinker, likely on account that it made me look and feel like I was 9 months pregnant, thank you Celiac disease. So, when I’m enjoying a nice meal, I most often pair it with a lovely glass of wine.
This Red Wine Manhattan is kind of like the best of both worlds – a cocktail and a nice glass of wine combined.
I wish I could claim the same kind of expertise in wine as I boast in cocktails/spirits but it’s a complex and nuanced world. I have been picking up bits and pieces here and there thanks to more knowledgeable friends and colleagues but it is an area I’d like to explore in greater depth. If time were more abundant, I’d love to take a wine appreciation course and learn more.
What’s a topic or subject you’d like to learn more about? I feel strongly that a commitment to continued learning is the best form of anti-aging. If I won the lottery, learning more would be at the top of my list – learning a language or language(s), pursuing a doctorate, mastering videography and studio lighting, the list in endless.
I think a thirst for knowledge keeps you young and gives you a good reason to get out of bed in the morning.
After taking a shopping spree in Paris, I might also like to take up a job as a bartender in a fantastic cocktail bar to learn from industry experts and master new techniques/approaches.
Tell me what would be on your bucket list if you won the lottery in the comments below! And don’t forget to tune into my Instagram Stories tonight at 5 p.m. Eastern tonight for a step-by-step walkthrough on how to make this spirited sipper!
Cheers, friends!
Red Wine Manhattan
- 2 oz rye
- 1 oz sweet vermouth
- 1/3 oz Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1 tsp Amarena Fabbri cherry syrup from the jar
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Garnish: Amarena Fabbri cherry
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Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and stir over ice until well-chilled.
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Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.
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Garnish with a single cocktail cherry – I prefer Amarena Fabbri cherries.
