Ran out of Cointreau so used the next nearest thing I had: Italicus (!).
50ml Reposado; 50ml Blanco;
50ml Italicus; 25ml Agave syrup;
Juice of one small lime; small pinch of salt crystals; five thin rings cut from the end of a (relatively) mild red chilli; shake well with ice (as I wanted to dilute this a little). A surprisingly drinkable and slightly piquant margarita!
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My version of this tonight is a bit of a mashup of what was available…
Aberlour 14yo
Talisker Skye (a dash for some smokiness)
Carpano Antica Formula
Martini Riserva Speciale Rubino
(about 1:1 of the vermouths)
Drambuie
Benedictine
(also about 1:1 of the liqueurs)
Peychauds — dash
I love a good Manhattan but there’s a complexity of flavours to this that makes it just a little bit different — and very enjoyable!
This is very close to what I do. I like the added flavour of a small amount of the syrup from the Luxardo cherries. I also use a dash of actual Luxardo maraschino liqueur alongside the orange butters; it adds a nice “woody” flavour but it needs a delicate touch as it’s a strong flavour that can easily overwhelm everything else!
My favourite vermouth: rich, complex, sweet but with a subtle bitterness. Makes a killer Manhattan but is fabulous on its own.
I tend to vary the bourbon (Maker's Mark still a favourite). Used to use Cinzano 1757 but currently either Cocchi Vermouth di Torino (v. good) or Carpano Antica Formula (absolute winner!). Stopped using bitters as found it just detracted from the complexity of high quality vermouth. Best to date is about 60/40(-ish) Maker's Mark/Carpano. Definitely Luxardo maraschino cherry (maybe a drizzle of the syrup). Clementine twists add a hint of Christmas. Slight dilution by the ice not a bad thing.