A kitchen bar shows a white quartz countertop, mixed blue collage tile backsplash, and a large collection of spirits, bar accessories, and shot glasses.
A Cassis Manhattan cocktail in a coupe glass, deep red in color, garnished with an orange twist and cherry on a decorative pick, set on a copper and cork coaster on a wooden surface.

France and NYC — The Cassis Manhattan

New York City is one of the world’s great cities, and the Manhattan is one of the world’s great cocktails.  The Cassis Manhattan injects creme de cassis, the blackcurrant liqueur commonly associated with France, into this variation of the cocktail icon. I discovered the Cassis Manhattan on the Instagram feed of flos.drinking.spirit.

Cassis Manhattan
Cassis Manhattan

2 ounces rye
.5 ounces sweet vermouth
.5 ounces crème de cassis
2 dashes molé bitters

Directions

Combine in a mixing glass with ice, stir with some New York City energy and French style, and strain into a chilled glass. Orange peel and/or amarena cherry garnish optional.

Rye provides a solid foundation for the Cassis Manhattan. Using a less robust whiskey will make the drink on the sweeter side. Speaking of sweet, the crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) gives the Cassis Manhattan the other part of its name. If you like crème de cassis, try the classic Kir or the less well known Parisian. Flos.drinking.spirit called for Punt e Mes as the vermouth. I suggest using whichever sweet vermouth you prefer. Last but not least are the molé bitters, which you can use in drinks such as the Left Hand, a variation on the Paris born Boulevardier. They bring a subtle chocolate undertone into the mix.

Put it all together and what do you get? The Cassis Manhattan — transatlantic and tasty.

 

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