Saturday, August 9, 2014

Manhattan Boulevard

Have you tried this Bonal stuff?  I chanced upon a bottle down at our local wine shop a couple days ago, and as I'm liable to do I brought it home knowing almost nothing about it.  Turns out, it's right up my alley!  It's generally similar to other "Kinas" like Cocchi Americano, with a robust bittersweet flavor.  It's also infused with a bunch of mountain herbs, and as a result it's got a complex flavor similar to good vermouth.  The closest comparison I can make is to Punt e Mes, but I think it's a bit more subtle.

In any case, Bonal is damned tasty, and it seemed the most natural thing in the world to me to work it into a Manhattan variation.  This wound up being a superb idea - more punchy than a Manhattan, more subtle than a Boulevardier, this one nestles perfectly in-between.

1 oz bourbon (Booker's - I kept the amount low since this is fairly high-proof, you might want to bump it up if you're using something closer to 80-90 proof)
3/4 oz Bonal
3/4 oz sweet vermouth (Dolin)

Stir over ice and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a brandied cherry.

I think my next stop is going to be a Red Hook variation...

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