We got our hands on some antique spirits including Canadian Club from the 1960s, Martini Rosso and Punt E Mes from the 1970s, Wild Turkey from the 1980s plus a few other bits, so we created this - a premixed Manhattan that spans three decades of spirits history.
The concept of the ‘Vintage Cocktail’ range is simple – you get all the ingredients for a superb cocktail pre-mixed, all you have to do is pour it over ice, stir, then strain off into your glass and garnish (in this instance with a maraschino cherry). Each bottle carries a stamp showing its year of manufacture.
At first the whiskey hits the nose hand in hand with the sweet vermouth before cherries and sage wander in with the vaguest hint of white pepper.
Cherries and oak notes fill the mouth followed by cinnamon and dried red fruits.
Coriander and oregano form a herbaceous finish but it is the bourbon vanilla that clings on for dear life until the very end.
This is a delicately balanced Manhattan that creates a product greater than the sum of its parts - plus it's an antique, what's more to like?
