Manhattan Au Poivre

A steak dinner often suggests a robust red wine.  Instead, what about a cocktail that makes you want to have a bite of steak?  The goal when pairing cocktails with food is to craft a drink that makes one want a bite of the food with each sip of the drink.  This is exactly what we have with our Manhattan au Poivre!  It’s basic Manhattan using bourbon.  We split the vermouth with the rich and fruity Cocchi Vermouth di Torino and the bittersweet Punt e Mes which we infused with coffee.  For the “au Poivre,” we use freshly cracked black peppercorns and finish the cocktail with black garlic salt.  The black garlic salt brings a touch of salinity and savory background. The result is a rich and complex cocktail that cries out to be savored with a steak.  The nose is bourbon, orange, fruit and Holiday spice.  The taste is savory with candied fruit, orange, cherry, cranberry and hints of coffee and black pepper.  The finish is smooth and savory.

The Manhattan au Poivre

Please note the directions regarding the black peppercorns and black garlic salt.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. Your Favorite Bourbon
• 3/8 oz. Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
• 3/8 oz. Coffee infused Punt e Mes (see below)
• 1 barspoon Grand Marnier
• 3-4 cracked black peppercorns
• 1 pinch Black Garlic Salt (see note below)
• Brandied Cherry for garnish
• Orange peel for garnish

Directions:

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Coarsely crack the black peppercorns and drop them into the bottom of your mixing glass.  Be careful not to grind the peppercorns so that they don’t pass through your strainer into the drink.
3. Add the bourbon to the mixing glass and let sit 10-15 minutes.  You can do this step ahead of time to easily make several cocktails.
4. Add the vermouth, Punt e Mes and Grand Marnier to the mixing glass.
5. Add ice to the mixing glass then the pinch of black garlic salt.  Immediately stir until chilled and double strain into your chilled cocktail glass.
6. Drop in the brandied cherry and express the orange peel over the drink.  Float the orange peel.

Cheers!

Coffee Infused Punt e Mes

This will vary based on your choice of coffee.  I suggest you try it first with 250ml.

• 250 ml Punt e Mes
• 30 gm cracked whole coffee beans

1. Combine Punt e Mes and coffee in a lidded jar.  Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, shaking a few times.
2. Double strain and enjoy.

Flavored Salts

Prior to using any flavored salt in cocktails I suggest you empty the container of salt into a fine mesh strainer over a sink.  Bang the strainer with you other hand to sift out any small bits that could pass through your strainer into your cocktail.