Occasionally, I like to reach back in the vault and repeat a cocktail from years past, just in case some of you joined the list late and missed it. And because some of them are just SO good, they deserve a repeat.
This is one that’s ideal for the early autumn weather – assuming, of course, that autumn will actually arrive someday. In the spirit of hope, we press on.
When the weather turns chilly – or in this case, less hot – whiskey-based drinks with a big belt of flavor always seem to do the trick at cocktail hour. No more citrusy sipping for us until next spring.
The Man o' War is just such a cocktail. A favorite of my friends, Jim, Brian, and another Brian, I present it here as they make it. Some recipes call for lemon juice. Our guys use lime.
Somehow the lime juice adds a relatively gentle spicy-sour punch that counters the sweetness of the vermouth and triple sec perfectly. Add all that to a big, full-flavored bourbon, and you've got a flavor bomb you won't soon forget.
We're told this cocktail was named for the ultra-famous race horse of the same name, and therefore is best made with Kentucky bourbon. All that is fine with me, but not a critical factor. I just like to drink them. So will you.
Man o' War
1 ounce bourbon
1 ounce lime juice (And by now surely you know – you gotta squeeze it.)
.5 ounce sweet vermouth
.5 ounce triple sec
Combine, shake, strain, and sip. Garnish with a bit of lime peel if you'd like.
(This makes a 3-ounce cocktail, which is on the light side. But, you can increase the pour by upping the size of each part. Or simply make yourself a second round.)