Ingredients

  • 2 ozRye whiskey
  • ¾ ozSweet vermouth
  • ½ ozCynar
  • 🍋Brandied cherry(garnish)

🔧 Tools

mixing-glassbarspoonstrainerjigger

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
  2. Stir for 25-30 seconds until well chilled.
  3. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
  4. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

📜 History

Audrey Saunders created the Little Italy at Pegu Club in New York City around 2005, naming it after Manhattan's historic Italian neighborhood. The cocktail adds Cynar—the artichoke-based Italian amaro—to a rye Manhattan, creating a more bitter, vegetal complexity. Saunders was exploring how Italian amari could enhance American whiskey cocktails, and the Little Italy proved that Cynar's distinctive flavor could complement rather than overwhelm rye's spiciness. The drink sits alongside the Red Hook and Greenpoint as part of the NYC neighborhood cocktail tradition, each offering a different take on the Manhattan by incorporating Italian bitter elements.

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