Derika and I have been living in NYC for 10 months now and I can’t believe it…where has the time gone!? We just realized this the other day, as we were sipping a Manhattan, which has become our drink of choice since we have moved here. There is something so entertaining to me to be able to order a Manhattan in Manhattan, and it is so surprising how different one person’s version can be from the next. While we were discussing our favorite places to get this classic cocktail in the city, we realized that we seem to fall in love with a certain cocktail in each place that we live.
- San Diego it was champagne, St. Germaine, club soda with a twist of lemon.
- Seattle it was fruit flavored mojitos, because I had a ton of mint growing on our balcony.
- Michigan it was lemon lime soda with raspberry vodka and a lychee.
The Manhattan is a classic drink that is usually made with a base of bourbon or whiskey; currently we are making ours with bourbon. I think that we prefer bourbon because we hit up the Kentucky Bourbon Trail on our road trip from San Diego to New York, and we have been obsessing over bourbon ever since. We have also realized that a good bourbon cherry can really make or break a Manhattan. In order to guarantee a perfect cherry, I have been whipping up my own bourbon cherries. If you don’t have the time to make your own cherries, I have found that these cherries will also do the trick.
With the winter that we just had, Derika and I had plenty of time to perfect our Manhattan recipe. We thought we had nailed it until Melissa aka Comet Atcha; an old roller derby teammate of mine from Seattle came to visit us. During her last visit she surprised us with 6 bottles of amazing cocktail spices from Addition.
These cocktail spices have pretty much been a game changer in most of our cocktail making adventures. Addition Cocktail Spices are handcrafted in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood, and are super awesome because they use a traditional maceration processes while using out of the ordinary spices, fresh herbs and peppers to create their magical products. Using just a few drops of these spices adds a unique spicy and savory layer to your cocktail. Also, if you aren’t much of a tasty beverage person, these spices can change your plain old soda water into something ohhhhh, so sassy.
As most of you know I love all things spicy. So to kick my Manhattan up a notch, I have been adding the Szechuan Pepper Cocktail Spice to my Manhattans. The outcome has been epic, and I don’t think that I will view Manhattans the same way from here on out. Below you will find the Double D Manhattan recipe with our secret ingredient…the Szechuan Pepper Spice.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4oz Bulleit Bourbon or your favorite bourbon
- 1/4 – 1/2 oz. Punt e Mes Vermouth
- 2 Shakes Fee Brothers West Indian Orange Bitters
- 3-4 Drops Addition Szechuan Pepper Cocktail Spice
- 3 Bourbon Cherries
- Splash of Bourbon Cherry Liquid
- Orange Peel
Directions
1. Get a fancy glass and put a fancy ice cube in it. The glassware and ice cube are just as important as your ingredients. We have this ice cube mold and love it!
2. Add 4 ounces of Bourbon, (we used Bullet Bourbon) to your glass.
3. Add 1/4 to 1/2 ounce of Vermouth, (we used Punt e Mes Vermouth). I like mine a little lighter on the Vermouth.
4. Add a couple of shakes of orange bitters, (we used Fee Brothers West Indian Orange Bitters).
5. Add 3-4 drops of the Addition Szechuan Pepper Cocktail Spice. You can always add more is you like it super spicy.
6. Add 1 bourbon cherry to your glass and set 2 aside for a garnish…you can never have too many boozy cherries!
7. Add a splash of bourbon infused cherry juice.
8. Stir and make your cocktail a little sassy by garnishing it with an orange peel and 2 bourbon cherries.
Boom! You now have the most perfect Spicy Manhattan!
Why stop with just cocktail spices?? In addition to amazing cocktail spices (no pun intended), Addition also has a line of sauces that you can add to your beer…I am sooo not kidding and I can’t wait to try them. Are you wondering how you can get your hands on some of these cocktail spices? I am super excited, because I just realized that they sell their full line of beverage spices online. If you are in NYC you can get them locally at the Chelsea Market and at The Meadow in the West Village.
If you would like to get your hands on a FREE bottle of the Szechuan Pepper Cocktail spice, so you can recreate this magical cocktail. Check out the Glitter Spice Facebook page for your chance to win your very own FREE bottle of Szechuan Pepper Cocktail Spice compliments of Addition!
Happy Cocktail Making!
Contest Disclaimer
The contest is open to U.S. residents only. One winner will receive one bottle of Addition Szechuan Pepper Spice. The contest is open to everyone over the age of 21. You have until 11:59pm pm on Friday, July 18th, 2014 to enter. Winner will be contacted on Monday July 21, 2014 via a Facebook message and will have one week to message me their address to claim their prize. The prize may not be exchanged or transferred and no cash alternative will be offered. Liability cannot be accepted for entries, which are lost in transit or not received due to technical difficulties. No purchase necessary.
