The Staghattan is one of our favorite winter cocktails. It’s a black cherry manhattan made with Red Stag bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters. It’s sweet and rich and as easy to make as it is to drink!
It’s Frrrrriday friends! Between Halloween, Cass’s very first research project at school, multiple freelance gigs, and the increasing lack of sunlight, I am seriously feeling the Friday fizzle.
The baby started his day twice before 5 a.m. this week, which is cruel by even his standards. On the other hand, he stole the show as baby Yoda on Halloween and then Cass got into the car this morning and requested “Hamilton songs please”. Parenting. You win some, you lose some.
Tonight we’re coping celebrating with Staghattans. No, that’s not a typo. These manhattans, exquisitely crafted with Jim Beam’s Red Stag bourbon, have been a staple winter cocktail in this house for years. This cocktail is sweet, rich, totally cozy, and super duper easy to make.
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Cherry Manhattan Recipe Notes
We love bourbon cocktails in the winter, and black cherry manhattans have been a favorite for years. Because Red Stag bourbon is sweet, go light on the sweet vermouth and a little heavier on the bitters for a balanced cocktail.
In case you’re not familiar with this fine liquor, Red Stag is Beam’s classic bourbon infused with black cherry, and just a hint of cinnamon. Look, it’s not exactly sophisticated and you’re definitely not going to splash it over rocks with a water back and slow sip. But it’s damn tasty in a cherry manhattan cocktail.
Red Stag is decidedly on the sweet side, so our cherry manhattan recipe is modified from the classic with half the sweet vermouth and double the bitters, served ice cold. You can serve it up or on the rocks.
The bitters does a remarkable job of taming what is otherwise an overly sweet cherry profile. Because we’re not barbarians, we make up for the lack of complexity by serving it up in these super sexy coupe glasses, then delicately gulp sip with our pinkies in the air. What can I say? We might be rednecks, but we’re classy rednecks.
To make this cherry manhattan, simply combine a couple ounces of Red Stag Bourbon with half an ounce of sweet vermouth and few shakes of bitters. Stir with ice. Strain. Live boldly and garnish with a cocktail cherry or two. Bottoms up!
More Winter Cocktail Recipes
If you love this cherry manhattan, you’ll also love these cool weather sips:
- Honey Bourbon with Rosemary Simple Syrup
- Blood Orange Bourbon Sour
- Paloma Cocktail with Fresh Grapefruit Juice
- Apple Cider Hot Toddy
- Classic Old Fashioned
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Cherry Manhattan
We love bourbon cocktails in the winter, and black cherry manhattans have been a favorite for years. Because Red Stag bourbon is sweet, we go light on the sweet vermouth and a little heavier on the bitters for a balanced cocktail.
Ingredients
- ice
- 2 1/4 oz. Jim Beam Red Stag Bourbon
- 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
- 4-6 dashes angostura bitters to taste
- maraschino cherry garnish
Instructions
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add Red Stag, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Stir until condensation forms on the shaker.
Pour into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry. Alternatively, strain into a cocktail glass filled with ice. Serve immediately.
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