Another month, another Mixology Monday. This month’s roman numeral sure looks impressive, doesn’t it?

Tristan over at The Wild Drink Blog hosts this month’s session and the theme is “Superior Twists.” In his own words:

This month’s Mixology Monday is all about twists on classic cocktails, that for one reason or another do an even better job than the drinks upon which they are based.

This could be as simple as a classic Margarita with a dash with a special touch that completes it, or maybe as complicated as a deconstructed Hemingway Daiquiri with a homemade rum foam/caviar/jus/trifle. It might be taking a classic like a Manhattan and using Tequila instead of Bourbon?

Well, as chance would have it, my twist is a Manhattan — with a twist, no less. One fateful night, Murray Stenson said the now fateful (to me) words: “Well, have you had a Manhattan with Punt e Mes?”

“Punt e Mes,” Says I: “What’s that?” The bottle came out, the cocktail was placed before me. Little did I know it was also new and glorious world he was also placing before me. So I’ll honor that epiphany with what I do to Manhattans whenever I’m drinking them, which is quite often.

Too often enough as luck would have it. I take my Manhattans with rye and I’m fresh out.¹ I instead subbed Bulleit Bourbon for the whiskey.

Black Manhattan²
2oz bourbon (or rye)
1oz Punt e Mes
dash simple
dash aromatic bitters³
orange twist

Stir ingredients and pour into cocktail glass. Express orange oil onto cocktail and garnish with orange twist.

I adore how the orange oil mixes with the deep gorgeous depths of the bitter and herbal Punt e Mes. A million thanks to Ben and Kacy and Murray for pushing me off that cliff three years ago. Cheers!

1. anyone want to send me any? [↩]
2. or Dark Manhattan, &c. you’ll find it named all kinds of things [↩]
3. anyone want to give me a lead on the Bitter Truth’s aromatic? Yum. [↩]