One of the world's most famous cocktails, the Manhattan is also one of the most difficult to pull off convincingly in zero-proof form. Like the Old Fashioned, the Manhattan is a drink that relies on very few ingredients, all of which are alcoholic: whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Non-alcoholic spirits have come a long way in recent years, but no matter how close to the flavor of whiskey we get, there's simply no replacing the impact of 40% alcohol.
In this Cherry Balsamic variation, we've added a dash of balsamic vinegar to give the cocktail a little more bite, maraschino cherry syrup for texture and richness, and our orange bitters to compliment the standard aromatic bitters. The flavors remain true to the classic while being unique and exciting.
If you've been craving an alcohol-free Manhattan but haven't quite found the right recipe, we think you'll like this.
Add Lyre's American Malt and Apertif Rosso, cherry syrup, balsamic, and bitters to a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Garnish with a Luxardo maraschino cherry and an orange peel.
Recipe Note
Any
nice maraschino cherry will do—Luxardo or Starlino are great choices—and you
can pour the syrup directly from the jar. But please, for the sake of yourself
and your guests, do not use those hot pink cherries. They have no place
garnishing proper cocktails, and the syrup should absolutely not be used as an
ingredient in the drink.
The
higher quality the balsamic vinegar, the better. If you can find an oak aged
balsamic, that's the best.
MAKE IT YOUR WAY
1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar is a pretty good amount. If you're not looking
for quite as much bite, drop that amount to 1/2 teaspoon. It'll be just enough
to give the drink some attitude without being dominant.
Feel
free to use your favorite non-alcoholic whiskey here, but we think Lyre's
American Malt is a great choice. It doesn't have quite the pronounced peppery
"burn" as some other whiskey alternatives, which really lets the
balsamic and cherry flavors shine.
MAKE IT MINDFULLY LOW ALCOHOL
Swap in 1 ounce of regular, alcoholic sweet
vermouth to give this cocktail just enough oomph to get you going but not
nearly enough to knock you on your feet. Feel free to have a couple.
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