CHOW’s former food editor Aida Mollenkamp turned me on to the Black Manhattan, a variation on the traditional whiskey and sweet vermouth drink made with amaro, which she first discovered at San Francisco’s Alembic. In this version, I throw back in a little of the sweet vermouth, as well as a touch of deep, dark nocino, an Italian green walnut liqueur, which gives the whole drink a smooth, nutty finish. Don’t forget, this recipe makes enough to serve you and a friend!
What to buy: Amaro Ramazzotti is a black-brown bittersweet Italian liqueur, usually served as a digestivo. It is one of the more common amaros around, usually available at BevMo!
Nocino is a dark brown, sweet, nutty liqueur made from green walnuts. We like Nocino della Cristina, a version from the Napa Valley, or Nux Alpina, made in the Alps. Nocino is available at BevMo! and most high-end liquor stores.
For more, see our classic Manhattan Cocktail or Whiskey Sour recipe.
- Yields: 2 drinks
- Difficulty: Easy
- Total: Under 5 mins
- Active: Under 5 mins
Ingredients (6)
- 4 ounces rye whiskey
- 1 ounce Amaro Ramazzotti
- 1/2 ounce nocino
- 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
- 4 dashes angostura bitters
- Ice
Instructions
- Place 2 cocktail glasses in the freezer to chill.
- Place all of the ingredients except the ice in a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker halfway with ice and stir vigorously until the outside is frosty, about 30 seconds. Strain into the chilled glasses and serve.
