Winter Spiced Manhattan
a cocktail recipe
Risa Weaver-Enion is a professional photographer based in Sacramento, California. Through her company
Risa James Photography, she specializes in food and beverage photography, specifically cocktails. She works with small distilleries, wineries, and purveyors of cocktail accessories to create beautiful imagery for them to use in their marketing efforts. Her book,
Cocktails for Everyday Drinking, was published in 2022 and is available at all online booksellers.
When she’s not photographing cocktails, Risa and her husband love to travel, both within the United States and internationally. Many of their trips have been wine-focused, but they’ve visited their fair share of distilleries around the world as well.
Anyone who wants to reach out to Risa to ask questions about photography, cocktails, or anything else, can find her on Instagram
@risajamesphotography, on the web at
risajamesphoto.com, or over email at risajamesphoto [at] gmail.com. She’s always happy to answer questions and give advice.
Nothing welcomes the cool fall and early winter weather like a nice whiskey cocktail. The Manhattan is a classic cocktail of rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. By infusing the vermouth with seasonal spices, you get a perfect representation of fall.
TIME (ACTIVE) | 15 M
TOTAL | 15 M
1 SERVING
| 3.5 ounces
PRINT RECIPE
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
SAUTÉ PAN
GLASS JAR WITH LID
FUNNEL
CHEESECLOTH
COCKTAIL SHAKER OR MIXING GLASS WITH JULEP STRAINER
FINE-MESH STRAINER
JIGGER
BARSPOON
To make the spiced sweet vermouth, add 2 tablespoons of Selefina mulling spices to a small sauté pan. Heat over low, stirring frequently, until the spices become fragrant. Heat for two more minutes, stirring constantly so the spices don’t burn. Remove pan from heat and allow spices to cool. Add spices to a clean glass bottle or jar and pour in the entire contents of a 375 ml bottle of Italian sweet (red) vermouth. Let sit for 48 hours, shaking occasionally. Place a funnel into the neck of the original sweet vermouth bottle. Line the funnel with cheesecloth and pour the infused vermouth back into the bottle, straining out the mulling spices. Discard the mulling spices.
To make the cocktail, add 2 ounces rye whiskey, 3/4 ounce of infused sweet vermouth, and 2 dashes of bitters to a cocktail shaker or mixing glass. Add ice and stir for approximately 30 seconds. Double-strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry on a cocktail pick and a whole star anise. Hold a flame to the star anise until it smokes for extra aroma.
Infused sweet vermouth can be refrigerated for several months, but its flavor is best when used within a few weeks
Double straining a cocktail means using one strainer in the mixing glass to hold back the ice, plus a fine-mesh strainer positioned over your glass. You pour directly through the fine-mesh strainer. It filters out ice chips that may have broken off during stirring and results in a cleaner cocktail in the glass. If you don't have a fine-mesh strainer, it's perfectly fine to single-strain instead.
Vermouth (whether red or white) should always be stored in the refrigerator once opened. If you have a vacuum seal system for open bottles of wine, you can also use that on your vermouth. When purchasing red (sweet) vermouth, look for an Italian brand. When purchasing white (dry or blanc) vermouth, look for a French brand.
seasonal blend
Mulling spice mixes vary widely in their formulation. Our mix is made many of some popular inclusions: cinnamon chips, orange peel, cloves, allspice, cardamom, and star anise.
whole pieces
Star anise pods are as aromatic as they are visually distinctive. Star anise is warm and sweet with an intense licorice flavor that also reveals notes of mint and clove.
TRY ME - SAMPLE$0.75
0.56 oz - REFILL$3
3 oz - REFILL$12
