A deep chocolatey-colored liquid in a triangular chilled coupe glass. There is a red nubule on the bottom that could very well be the Mother Manhattan's unborn Pitted Fetus.

A light blue tropical drink cartoon with a straw and a citrus wheel

I've only recently come to discover the Black Manhattan as I've begun my own personal journey into the world of amaros a'plenty!

A traditional black Manhattan is made with Averna amaro, an Italian aperitif from Sicily. The variation we made uses a local Philadelphia amaro called Vigo for two reasons:

* one is that it's fun to sample local flavors and see if they occupy the same niches as their more well-known counterparts

* reason number two is that I've been checking my liquor store for weeks, since my first sip of a black Manhattan and have yet to find a single bottle of Averna to use for it

This iteration is a real sipper. I really enjoyed the notes of bitter char, and baking chocolate notes that melded with the spice of the high-rye whiskey. In a way, it tasted like a sumptuous chocolate truffle that knew not to associate with the Hershey's of the world. Melded for greatness by an upbringing of affluence, and a love for the outdoors.

That last note because Vigo is also kind of woody, and I'd describe the bitter flavors as reminding me of the forest floor or some dry leaves in the Autumn months.

This one's a real journey, and the fact that there's a whole world of amaro's out there (not just the dark colored ones) gets me really excited to see what other flavors the world has to offer!

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Vigo Black Manhattan

2 oz (59 ml) High-Rye Whiskey (Old Grandad)
1 oz (30 ml) Amaro (Vigo Amaro)
1 dash Aromatic Bitters (Angostura)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura)

Method: Stir & Strain

Garnish: Cocktail Cherry

Credits: https://www.liquor.com/black-manhattan-cocktail-recipe-5184291

Guided Recipe Short: Instagram

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