Happy Friday! I’m presenting this week’s drink from a hotel bar in New York City. Dad Sharkbait is in town for a work trip so I made arrangements to come down and grab dinner with him since he’s normally on the West coast. After a great dinner, and post dinner drinks at a bar around the corner from the hotel, we parted ways as I was not ready to retire for the evening. So I posted up at the hotel bar for a nightcap. Normally I’d venture further away from the hotel, but it was pouring rain and I didn’t want to deal with that. I found an interesting twist on a Manhattan called a French Phantom Manhattan.

It seemed interesting so I got it

It has a very neutral nose. Not surprised given that cognac is the main spirit. It’s milder aroma doesn’t carry as much weight as a bourbon or especially a rye whiskey would.

That’s an interesting flavor. It’s a lot sweeter than I would have thought it was. Granted I’m used to whiskey Manhattans. Cognacs are a different animal, one that I haven’t played with all too much so I shouldn’t be surprised that this is trending in a different direction than expected.

I think the cognac enhances the sweet vermouth at play here. I can definitely pick up on those flavors more without the signature rye whiskey “burn” on the palate. I think that might be the bigger culprit when it comes to picking up on the sweetness than the cognac base mentioned above.

The finish is fairly consistent with the rest of the flavor palate. Not very strong tasting, a little more edge to the sweetness and a quick dissipating mouth feel. I’m intrigued with the addition of the cognac as the base and I think I want to try playing with it more as a ln alternative to whiskey that I tend to default to in a drink like this.

Update on the end of the drink. It finished way too sweet for my liking. I don’t know if the residual cherry syrup sank to the bottom but the finish to the drink itself was unpleasantly cloying. Still worth trying at home, but maybe with a Luxardo cherry instead of the neon red variety. I kinda feel bad but I instinctively made a face when asked if I wanted another one. I chose a dry gin martini instead to finish up the evening.

(Banner image courtesy Matthew Tetrault Photography)