A Manhattan with dark, herbal amaro where the sweet vermouth would be, it pours nearly black and drinks bittersweet, with a cola-and-baking-spice depth wrapped around the dry bite of rye. Aromatic and orange bitters knit the two together, and stirred cold and served up with a brandied cherry, it comes across richer and more brooding than its parent.
Garnish: Brandied Cherry
Stirred · Coupe · Up
add
Combine the rye whiskey, amaro, and both bitters in a mixing glass with ice.
stir
Stir until well chilled and properly diluted, about 20-30 seconds.
strain
Strain into a chilled coupe.
garnish
Garnish with a brandied cherry.
Todd Smith came up with the drink in 2005 while tending bar at Bourbon & Branch, a San Francisco cocktail bar, swapping the Manhattan's sweet vermouth for Averna. His first version reportedly paired bourbon with house-made coffee-cherry bitters. The build that spread afterward settled on rye, with a dash each of Angostura and orange bitters alongside the amaro.