Red Hook
- 2 oz rye whiskey
- 1/2 oz Punt e Mes
- 1/2 oz maraschino liqueur (Luxardo)
Stir ingredients with ice in a mixing glass and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.
There are many variations on the theme of a Manhattan. I came across this one, created by Vincenzo Errico in 2004, in the book The New Cocktail Hour and I rather like it. Its name comes from a Brooklyn neighborhood which, appropriately, is not that far from Manhattan.
Punt e Mes is an Italian vermouth which is both bitter and sweet. Its name means one point and a half which the producers claim is a reference to one point of sweetness and a half of bitterness. It needs the maraschino liqueur to balance out the bitterness.