If you can have a Tequila Gibson, why not a Tequila Manhattan?
Tequila Manhattan – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
The classic Manhattan is a 3 ingredient cocktail that lends itself to many variations. The Tequila Manhattan comes via Mexico and makes use of Añejo Tequila combined with sweet vermouth, bitters and a smoky tincture.
Añejo Tequila refers to tequila that is aged between one and three years in oak barrels of 600L capacity or less. The ageing in oak barrels gives the agave spirit a sweeter profile and the type of barrel use and amount of charring imparts notes of vanilla, caramel, toffee even soft smoke.
As well as bitters to round off the sweetness, we used a couple of drops of lapsang souchong tea tincture to give the cocktail a slightly smoky note. Lapsang souchong tea has a distinctive wood-smoke character which plays well with the aged tequila. The result is a complex, layered drink that is well suited for an after dinner drink. It has sweet notes of cooked agave, vanilla, soft oak and a touch of smoke on the finish.
The Tequila Manhattan is easy to prepare at home and can be pre-batched when entertaining a crowd.
Tequila Manhattan Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 60 ml Añejo Tequila
- 30 ml sweet vermouth
- 1 dash of Angostura bitters
- 2 drops of lapsang souchong tea tincture
Glassware: coupe
Garnish: orange twist
Method
Add all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupette and garnish with an orange twist.
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