Scarlet Manhattan Recipe

Chill glass

Fill the rocks glass with ice or place in the freezer while you prepare the drink to chill it briefly; discard ice before serving if using freezer chilling.

Combine ingredients

Add 2 oz Old Forester Rye, 1 oz Scarlet Aperitivo, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, 1 dash orange bitters, and 1/4 tsp simple syrup (optional) into a mixing glass.

Stir with ice

Fill the mixing glass with large ice, then stir with a bar spoon for 20–30 seconds (about 20–30 full rotations) until well chilled and slightly diluted. Aim for the glass to feel cold and the liquid to be lightly diluted.

Prepare glass & garnish

Discard the ice from the chilled rocks glass if used. Place one large fresh ice cube or several fresh ice cubes into the glass. Use a peeler or paring knife to cut a 1–2-inch orange twist. Express the oils over the drink by holding the twist over the glass and giving it a quick fold or twist so oils spray onto the surface, then rub the peel on the rim and drop it into the glass as garnish.

Strain

Using a hawthorne or julep strainer, strain the stirred cocktail from the mixing glass into the prepared rocks glass over the large ice cube.

Serve immediately. Taste and, if desired, adjust sweetness on subsequent pours by adding another 1/4 tsp simple syrup. The Scarlet Manhattan should be balanced: rye spice, bitter-sweet scarlet aperitivo, and aromatic bitters.

Rinse and dry your mixing glass, spoon, and strainer. Wipe down any spills and properly store garnishing tools.