MxMo XCVII: I'll Take Manhattan! // The Crystalline Manhattan

I had so much fun participating in Mixology Monday the last time and I really want to do it again. This month's theme is "I'll Take Manhattan!" and the event is hosted by Frederic of the Cocktail Virgin Slut blog. I was really late to read his announcement post, since I just came back home from, well, Manhattan. This was all made in a rush.

Unaged American whiskeys only recently hit the shelves in Sweden, so when I found myself with a bottle of white dog at 62.5% ABV I was not sure what to do with it. Can it make a Manhattan? One that is not only white, but almost completely transparent, and yet it is a whiskey drink?

For the The Crystalline Manhattan I stayed away from all brown ingredients. Cointreau was added for sweetness, and also a splash of water for extra dilution, which I thought was needed to make the drink smoother. I chose to omit the standard maraschino cherry garnish as the syrup would ruin its clear appearance. 

Okay, in the end, it does not look, smell or taste like the real thing, so let us say this one is a Manhattan in a more spiritual way. In the mouth, it starts off quite fiery, followed by sweeter malt, orange and floral notes, and leaves with a dry peppery finish. 

As for the vermouth, I have heard so many good words about Dolin Blanc and it's a shame that it's not available over here, which is why I use Martini Bianco instead. I bet that Cocchi Americano could make a nice substitute, but The Yellowish Manhattan just doesn't sound that classy.

The Crystalline Manhattan

1½ oz. Buffalo Trace White Dog Mash #1

¾ oz. Martini Bianco
½ oz. water
¼ oz. Cointreau
2 dashes Bitter Bastards Crystal Bitters
orange peel twist

Stir everything (except orange peel) with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Express orange peel oils onto the drink. Discard peel.