Walnut Manhattan
A spirit-forward twist on the classic Manhattan with Italian walnut liqueur adding bittersweet depth, warm spice, and earthy complexity.
- 2 ozbourbon
- ¾ ozsweet vermouth
- ½ ozwalnut liqueur
- 2 dashesangostura bitters
- Maraschino cherry dropped into the glass.garnish
- 1Add bourbon, sweet vermouth, walnut liqueur, and bitters to a mixing glass.
- 2Fill with ice and stir gently for 20 to 30 seconds until well chilled and diluted.
- 3Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- 4Garnish with a maraschino cherry dropped into the glass.
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The Walnut Manhattan is a widely made variation on the classic Manhattan cocktail, which itself dates to the 1870s in New York. The variation substitutes a measure of nocino — a traditional Italian walnut liqueur made from unripe green walnuts — for a portion of the sweet vermouth, lending a bittersweet, earthy character to the cocktail. Nocino has a centuries-old Italian heritage rooted in the Emilia-Romagna region, where walnuts are traditionally harvested on the night of St John the Baptist on June 24. The Walnut Manhattan gained widespread recognition in the American craft bar scene through the 2010s and was featured by Difford's Guide (recipe #9992) and Imbibe Magazine as a seasonal classic, with Cardinal Spirits in Bloomington, Indiana, among the distilleries helping popularise the format.
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