French Manhattan

You’ve all had my Classic Manhattan and are, by this point, hopefully well-versed in decent bourbon or rye selection. So now we put a small twist on my all-time favorite cocktail (a more subtle twist than straight up ordering a Sazerac). So what, you might ask, makes a Manhattan “French?” A traditional 1860s-style Manhattan is typically made with rye whiskey though more modern tastes frequently prefer bourbon. A French Manhattan uses a cognac base and emphasizes citrus with the gentle addition of Grand Marnier or Cointreau. It is a smoother cocktail – substantially smoother than a Rye Manhattan – and might be more agreeable who those whose tastes do not naturally gravitate towards the darker spirits. As one additional note, a friend recently introduced me to Armagnac, a species of brandy distilled in the Gascony region of France. It would likely make an excellent addendum to a French Manhattan evening.