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La Louisiane
A rye-based Sweet Manhattan made even sweeter with herbal Bénédictine liqueur and bittered with Peychaud's and absinthe. Originally made with equal parts...
Tuber Magnatum
9th June at 22:36
Tried this tonight and have three comments. First, this is an excellent cocktail. Second, should anyone have reservations with added dilution if using "dry" ice, it very much benefits this drink. Lastly, if you love absinthe as I do, don't double the amount as I did (see De La Louisiane #2 which does use double the amount suggested here); I suggest you don't! It overpowered this otherwise lovely cocktail.
22 hours ago
As a fellow absinthe lover I’d recommend rinsing the glass with absinthe instead of mixing it in- makes the absinthe more present without being overpowering. In fact, sounds so good I’m going to make one now!
31st May at 13:43
I will say this - the recipe here on Diffords is delicious. The absinthe is definitely on the front of the palate but without any of the regular pepperiness. The base of the cocktail is a cool Brooklyn riff, though, with rye, Benedictine and vermouth playing together as good as they possibly can. I would actually like to see a couple of drops of saline solution in this, just to see how that would change it.
20th February at 15:00
An interesting conversation here comparing the virtues of our host's recipe with that of commenter Elgar. In support of our host's position we say that context is all. In Louisiana, everything presses on the senses: the heat, the rain, the aroma of flowers, the greenery...and the pungent aroma and taste of the local cuisine (Gumbo, dirty rice, po boy sandwiches overflowing with shrimp). So who, sitting in a Bourbon Street bar over lunch, would prefer Mr Elgar's austere, lackluster recipe?
11th March at 04:12
Revisited this using Difford's 1/2 tsp of absinthe, which seems about right, and R. Elgar's proportions (2 : 3/4 : 1/4), which have mysteriously disappeared from the Comments. This time, however, I used a vermouth amaro (Punt e Mes; have to try Cocchi Dopo Teatro), which made it anything but lackluster. Whether it is "austere" depends on one's sensibilities regarding the optimal sweet-bitter-herbal balance, but I'd enjoy this with a plate of crawfish etouffee, and La Louisiane certainly deserves recognition however one mixes it.
13th February at 02:45
Where has this cocktail been all my life? Absolutely delicious. Definitely one of my top 10.
6th March at 18:34
Agreed!
20th October 2024 at 13:31
I absolutely adore this. I follow Simon’s recipe and definitely include three maraschino cherries like in the picture. I have a sweet tooth. Wonderfully spicy and sweet and quite strong. A drink to take your time with.
26th March 2024 at 05:36
We really like Sazeracs and Manhattans in our house. Final decision is to rinse the glass with absinthe ala Difford’s Sazerac recipe. Then a dash of absinthe in the actual blend. Otherwise we followed the recipe with wet ice. Poured over a large block in an old fashioned glass with a block ice cube and cherry. I think we might like this more than Vieux Carre!
14th March 2024 at 10:21
I went with difford's proportions, but served it over ice in an Old Fashion glass. Definitely enjoyed it more this way than in a coupe. The cocktail benefits from the added dilution too.
19th March 2024 at 23:07
I’m going to try this one both ways. I don’t know if I have very “wet” ice or a heavy stir, but I often dilute my cocktail quite a lot before I pour. I’ve started making notes to remind myself when I over do it in the future!
6th March 2024 at 04:16
Prefer Elgar's proportions for uses other than pouring over pancakes:
2 oz rye (Rough Rider "The Big Stick")
3/4 oz vermouth (Tempus Fugit "Alessio")
1/4 oz Benedictine
~4 ml (~3/4 tsp) absinthe (to taste)
1 good dash each Peychaud's, Bitter Truth Creole Bitters
Stir w/ ice, serve in Old Fashioned glass w/ big ice cube for dilution, garnish w/ cherry. A more complex and interesting rye Manhattan, Louisiane style.
2 oz rye (Rough Rider "The Big Stick")
3/4 oz vermouth (Tempus Fugit "Alessio")
1/4 oz Benedictine
~4 ml (~3/4 tsp) absinthe (to taste)
1 good dash each Peychaud's, Bitter Truth Creole Bitters
Stir w/ ice, serve in Old Fashioned glass w/ big ice cube for dilution, garnish w/ cherry. A more complex and interesting rye Manhattan, Louisiane style.