Big Apple Cocktail Recipe, A Manhattan
Playing on another hallmark of the drink's namesake, Altier steers the Manhattan toward the apple orchard. A gelatin-enriched garnish beautifully bridges the classic and the contemporary.
Adapted from Marshall Altier, Jbird, New York City
Big Apple
Make this Big Apple cocktail from Marshall Altier at Jbird in New York City.
Prep Time
0
minutes
Cook Time
2
hours
Servings
1
cocktail
Total time: 2 hours
Ingredients
- “Apple” cherries
- 2 ounces apple juice
- 2 ounces Pommeau de Normandie
- 2 ounces Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth
- 2 ounces fresh lemon juice
- 2 dashes Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
- 4 sheets bloomed gelatin (leaf gelatin softened in cold water for 5 time)
- Canola oil
- Cocktail
- Ice
- 1½ ounces high-proof rye whiskey (such as Rittenhouse bonded)
- ½ ounce high-proof apple brandy (such as Laird's bonded)
- 1 ounce Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth
- 1 dash The Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas' Own Decanter Bitters
- 2 dashes Bar Keep Baked Apple bitters
- 1 “apple” cherry
Directions
- Make the "apple" cherries: In a saucepan set over medium heat, combine the apple juice, Pommeau de Normandie, vermouth, lemon juice, Maraschino liqueur and softened gelatin until the gelatin is dissolved, about 1 minute.Pour the mixture into a squeeze bottle and cut the tip low enough that a large, cherry-size drop emerges when the bottle is squeezed. Refrigerate until the texture of the mixture thickens, about 1 hour.
- Fill a shallow container with canola oil and put it in the freezer until the oil is almost frozen, about 1 hour. Remove the oil from the freezer and squeeze cherry-size drops of the cold apple syrup into the oil solution. Strain the apple cherries through a fine-mesh sieve (save the oil for another use) and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a shallow bowl and refrigerate until needed.
- Make the cocktail: Fill a mixing glass or cocktail shaker with ice. Add the whiskey, apple brandy, vermouth and the bitters. Stir well, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the apple cherry and serve.