Even though some of my favorite cocktails are classics, I’m ALWAYS one to mess around with a good thing. Give me a dirty martini and I’ll make it even dirtier in new and wonderful ways that probably make purists cringe.
Lately we’ve been in a Manhattan kind of phase. While I prefer Maker’s Mark, I’ve been making do with Jim Beam. But the one thing I demand in my Manhattan is a cherry. And when my jar of maraschinos came to an end the other day, I trotted up the street to Castroni, where I know I can get almost anything – cocktail and otherwise – I want.
The problem with going to Castroni is that I always end up buying things I had no intention of bringing home. Impulse purchase big time. Besides carrying all sorts of exotic ingredients from countries all over the world, they also have an incredible selection of Italian goodies that I didn’t even know existed.
So there I was, about to grab my embarrassingly red jar of maraschino cherries when my eyes started wandering across the shelf full of other preserved fruits. Whole plums, ripe peaches and fuzzy little raspberries, all floating jewel like in sparkling syrups. But since cherries – and their cocktail uses – was still on my mind, my hand followed my eyes and I picked up a ruby red jar of amarene.
That would be sour cherries. Yes, they cost about four times the price of the normal maraschino. But I was betting they would taste four times as good.
Come cocktail hour back home, I pulled out the bourbon, vermouth and bitters and cracked open the jar of cherries. A tiny sip of the cherry syrup was so good I started giggling. Tart, sweet, thick and intense. It was cherry ambrosia.
So as I measured out my Manhattan ingredients – pouring them into the shaker – I added a two teaspoons of that syrup. I know adding sugar to a Manhattan brings it borderline close to an Old Fashioned. But there was no muddling of fruit going on, promise.
It was kind of like adding some of the olive brine to a dirty martini. Just a tad more of a good thing.
And that can’t be bad, right? 
Dirty Sour Cherry Manhattan
2 oz bourbon
1/2 oz sweet red vermouth
6 dashes orange bitters
2 tsp sour cherry syrup
3 sour cherries, in syrup
Add bourbon, vermouth, bitters and syrup to cocktail shaker. Add ice and stir (don’t shake). Strain into cocktail glass, add cherries and enjoy. 
Elizabeth’s Newsletter from Italy
Sign up here for my newsletter! It’s full of fun information, travel tips, links to what I’m reading and doing, advance notice of my culinary tours, and reading events. Premium subscribers also have access to my new podcast, online events, and discounts and offers for some of my favorite tableware.
Oh dear, it is just 6:30 AM here, but you’ve got me going. Nice touch, the Amarena juice. I love hearing that you use Maker’s Mark. I enjoy its round edges; it is a remarkable complement in cocktails that call for vermouth, esp. my fave Cocchi. On the subject of Maraschino cherries, have you tried Luxardo brand? They are made from Marasca cherries, (a variety of Morello) and bear no relation to those incandescent red monstrosities that I recall from a childhood spent drinking Shirley Temples at Dino’s Lodge or set atop my preferred soda fountain treat, a large coupe of pink whipped cream. No, the Luxardo’s babies are dark, almost black and are set in a very heavy syrup made from their juice and Maraschino liqueur. Not to be missed. Thansk for another terrific cocktail I am so pleased to meet another female whit such an appreciation of the wonders and subtleties of spirits. By the way, your Amarena cherries are quite spectacular atop a schiacciata.
LOVE Luxardo cherries!
See, now this one is just mean. I KNOW that it will still be good with Maraschino cherries but as good? Not likely. And yes, that dirty spicy onion martini remains one of my favorite all time cocktails. Tip of the hat to ya!
And tip of the martini glass to ya too!
Great minds think alike. I have been playing with Manhattans since my oldest daughter began attending a Southern college this past Fall. Bourbon and Rye have become my new obsessions. Marker’s Mark makes a great cocktail base. I would second the Luxardo cherries suggestion. Also, have you used the Carpano Antica Vermouth? You’ll never use anything else once you taste it. Fee Brothers makes good Cherry and Orange Bitters. Stirrings Blood Orange Bitters is yummy too!
I was all out of Carpano unfortunately. And want to know what I ask everyone to bring me from the States? Bitters!
Mouth-watering! Is it possible to find orange bitters in Rome? We can never find them back in the UK now, yet 10 years or so ago various brands were available.
Someone brought me these bitters from the States. There seems to be a real lack of bitters here in Rome!
Beautiful! My husband uses Canadian Club for Manhattans, and says it gives the drink a smoky depth. I’ll have to hunt down some sour cherries for him!
Hmmm…. you will have to make me one of those at our terrace cocktail party on Friday! Brad and Eric make something very similar and I like it. I wish we could get Makers in Rome more often! We have some new bitters to try out that a friend of my cousin’s makes. You can get them mail order in the USA- They are called Scrappy’s Bitters “Handcrafted in small batches all natural Herb Macination” He makes many kinds including lime, orange, celery and lavender. They are made in Seattle. You can check them out at http://www.scrappysbitters.com.
We will have to come up with a few good cocktails for Friday! How about an Elizabeth’s special???
Domenico brought me back two huge bottles of Maker’s Mark, so happy! Yes…will have to figure out an appropriately springy cocktail for Friday. I have some raspberries in syrup too.
OH MY GOSH so good! I am definitely trying this. I have promised myself I’m making some preserved cherries for cocktail purposes once they come into season here. Don’t know if I can wait, though. I think I need to Find. These. Cherries. Now. Cheers!
Cheers!
My husbands loves Manhattans and while we were in Chicago having a fabulous meal at the Atwood Cafe, he had the best Manhattan of his life. I asked the waiter what the secret was and he said the small bitter cherries were soaked in brandy and he added bitters. Sublime
Ah, Bitters! There is a lovely book, recently published by Ten Speed Press titled ” A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All Bitters” (But I think you can just look for Bitters) – written by Brad Thomas Parsons. If you can’t find bitters you can MAKE your own! The book has many recipes as well as loads of other interesting reading. And, there are sources listed for the unusual ingredients.
I’m sad to tell you that I was really looking forward to trying this drink. I had everything ready to go, the fruit was muddled (Luxardo cherries!) the bourbon was in there and I realized I didn’t bring the Sweet Vermouth from the bar. Turns out there wasn’t any Sweet Vermouth :-(. I have no idea how that happened. Since I was substituting this for my usual evening tea, the problem was solved when I poured the ingredients into my mug and topped it all off with tea. I must say it was quite nice. I’ll try the Manhattan when the liquor store opens on Tuesday!