The good people at Jefferson’s have created a barrel aged Manhattan with the help of the Editors of Esquire Magazine. Normally I would recommend mixing your own Manhattan but this cocktail is barrel aged in bourbon barrels from the Jefferson’s distillery; therefore it is understandable that you may not have room for a bourbon barrel in your bar area. Barrel aged cocktails tend to add a depth of flavor that is difficult to duplicate at home.
The Jefferson’s Manhattan is a balanced cocktail the dry vermouth coupled with the herby bitters is a nice foil for the sweet, vanilla bourbon flavors. The bourbon flavors may be a little muted in comparison to a traditional Manhattan but as this would be considered a Perfect Manhattan with both sweet and dry vermouth. I would recommend adding a twist which brightens the flavor profile without adding any sweetness. Consider it your bartender in a bottle next time you have friends over for drinks.
