When we hear “instant cocktails” we think of bad margarita mixes, Skinny Girl Cocktails, and most definitely, hangovers. But last Friday night I was at our friends’ house, they made (or rather, poured) me a Manhattan, straight out of a bottle. It’s from a Utah-based distillery, and it’s called High West Distillery 36th Vote Barreled Manhattan. What they do is mix the rye whiskey, vermouth, and bitters, and then age that mixture for 90 days. Now, I love a Manhattan, so I think I’ve learned when one is good, and I have to say, this was fantastic.
Caveat: There might be a reason that Manhattans shouldn’t be so easy, which we discovered the next morning when we woke up a little foggy. You might want to make sure you serve it as shown in top photo, where you use a shaker and actually have to go through efforts to make another one. Our friend served them over ice, which meant that they were poured like wine.