STNL Bourbon House Rye Manhattan

In somewhat the same vein as the previous Sazerac at Arnaud's French 75 Bar, this is another boozy, spirit-forward, deep and brooding cocktail...but just a bit more so. It also has Rye Whiskey, but here the exotic character in the Sazerac is altered,through bitters, a special type of vermouth, and barrel aging, into a cocktail that's deep and dark and endless.

The Bourbon House, one of the restaurant jewels of the famous Brennan family, is an imposing place, perched on the corner of Bourbon Street and Iberville. Inside, it is grand, with soaring ceilings and rich colors of red and gold. First there is the Cafe, perfect for people watching. Then there is the Oyster Bar, adjoining the spirits bar, where you can get your Bourbon itch scratched any number of ways. A few steps further and you're in another expansive room in the main restaurant. It us as complete as a restaurant can get: a Shrimp Po'Boy for lunch, the Oyster Bar for a quick dozen, the bar for cocktails, and the restaurant for fine dining.

The Bourbon House has claimed for some years to have the biggest and best collection of Bourbon and Rye whiskeys in Louisiana. A stroll around the establishment and a look at the list supports that contention. For cocktail drinkers, Bourbon House is popular for their Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch---although that may be affected by the liberal policy of to-go drinks in the French Quarter combined with some scorching hot days that make a frozen drink seem even more attractive than usual. Bourbon House also does a superior Mint Julep with Woodford Reserve as the Bourbon of choice. Whiskey lovers can also avail themselves of any number of flights based on different whiskey themes.

Bourbon House Barrel-Aged Manhattan
If you are looking for a sturdy whiskey cocktail with endless depth, a boozy flavor-packed combination of Old Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey (than which, better bargains do not exist) with sweet/bitter vermouth and Angostura Bitters, blended and aged in old bourbon barrels, this is the Manhattan for you.

The herbal spice of rye, with its leathery mouth-drying tannins and robust concentration from slow aging in charred barrels, extracting all those 400+ aromatics and caramelized sugars into a massively complex abundance of flavors, is enhanced with the addition of the equally impressive Punt e Mes.

Not for the faint of palate, Punt e Mes is vermouth plus. Literally. It is sweet red vermouth bolstered with Italian bitter aperitif (A point and a half, derived from a hand sign by hurried Bourse traders who wanted vermouth with a dose of bitters for backbone---Punt e Mes!), This is one of the few vermouths that can stand up to the audacity of Rye Whiskey and hold its own.

Add Angostura Bitters, blend, and age a bit longer in used barrels to allow the three components to meld together seamlessly, chill it, and serve it up---don’t even think about adding ice to this one after shaking!---for a cocktail that will amaze you with its force, power and surprising elegance.

Dark yet transparent, with heady aromatics of charred wood, caramel, molasses, vanilla oak, and fragrant dried herbs, the Old Rittenhouse 100 Proof packs a mighty punch. The Punt e Mes, rather than sweetening it, reinforces that punch, with the Angostura adding more nuances of bitterness and aromatic complexity.

Mind you, all three elements are alcohol-laced here; each of the three has its own powerful combination of aromas and flavors; and when they are mixed together and barrel-aged, blended seamlessly so that you don't really know and can't really tell where one ends and the other begins, you have a potent cocktail.

The Bourbon House Barrel-Aged Manhattan is one of the many variations on the classic Manhattan. Not for everyone, perhaps; but for those who love their rye whiskey, and the bolder the better, this one is about as good as it gets.

Loving your report on the New Orleans cocktails. Makes me want to go back there but not in July (as my only time there) or August as you are doing. Maybe in February?

Loving your report on the New Orleans cocktails. Makes me want to go back there but not in July (as my only time there) or August as you are doing. Maybe in February?

Thanks, JC.

Were it not for the business aspect---Tales of the Cocktail in July, Society of Wine Educators Annual Conference in August, I assure you I would not have been in New Orleans then either.

Enjoyed it, mostly, but the heat and humidity were oppressive.

One thing I can say about the latest version of New Orleans: bring more money. The restaurant prices have really escalated over the last few years. I understand why, of course, and I'm still willing to pay the tab, but it is pricier now than it used to be.

When you go, don't just stay in the French Quarter. Get over to the Marigny (Frenchman's Street), and check out Magazine. Magazine's got some great places; not as compact as the Quarter, or even Marigny, as it is a standard street----long, with many attractions. But it's jumping. People tell me Rampart is good too, but I didn't get there this trip.

I went on a bus "Jazz Tour" which took in three stops. One was a little dive (I believe in the 9th Ward) that probably was flooded out in Katrina. It was the most authentic of the three places we visited on the tour. After awhile the band took requests and I asked for and heard "St. James Infirmary"--a nice memory of my visit to NOLA. I was there for a library conference but the timing coincided with a wine festival so I got to sample some wines on the street and attend a wine dinner at the Omni Hotel as well as try a Sazerac cocktail in the French Quarter. Didn't make it to the Garden District so have much sightseeing to do if I ever get to New Orleans again.
P.S. Colin Powell was the keynote speaker at the conference and the Neville Brothers performed at a gala night during the conference,

You got to the the Nevilles! That in itself is cool. They're getting on now. They sure did know how to rock the joint, New Orleans style.

A little side note that tells you a lot about New Orleans:

One morning we wanted beignets, but since the heat and humidity were soaring (and I am a heat wuss of the first order), my wife compromised with me and we walked over to Cafe Beignet, a small shop on Royal. It is right next to the Quarter Police Station.

The Cafe is owned by one of the more respectable old time Nawlins owner of an antique store across the street. So when Cafe Beignet needed more room because they were bursting their seams, they expanded a patio out into the grounds of the police station. You can get your beignets and chicory coffee and sit in the shade and behind the black metal fence that faces on Royal. Usually a faithful gospel singer, a guy with a really beautiful voice, is singing and panhandling out front. And the police scooters and motorcycles and such are all cloistered on the other side of the building. There's a sign out front letting you know the force is short-handed and accepting applications. And there's another sign out front of the station, informing you that if you go inside you can buy official New Orleans Police t-shirts!!!

Yep, one of the most corrupt, violent and murderous police forces in the country is raising funds by selling t-shirts, and allowing the next door shop to use their yard for tourists to eat beignets.

Did you say "after shaking"? The horror! I've had quite a few barrel aged travesties but those ingredients sound like they would be quite happy together hanging out in some oak.

I agree with Bill. The Punt e Mes sounds like a good choice for a barrel aged Manhattan.

I agree with Bill. The Punt e Mes sounds like a good choice for a barrel aged Manhattan.

Has this combination first when doing a "Deconstructed Manhattan" Class. First we tasted four different bourbons and rye, then four different sweet vermouths, then made six different cocktails. The Rittenhouse 100, Punt e Mes, Angostura won hands down for me.

Second time was in Canada, Vancouver BC, enjoying a nice Italian dinner solo after doing an all day CSS. Again, Rittenhouse, PeM, Ango. It was a knockout

So now the Bourbon House version. First time it was barrel-aged. Funny thing, it wasn't the added oak or vanilla spice that was attractive: it was the additional concentration and depth of flavor.

It's not for the faint of heart though. Big, intense flavors. Sweet drinkers need not apply. This is one heavy, boozy cocktail.

Now see what you've done? I've been forced into having a Rittenhouse Manhattan (albeit with Vya) a whole half hour before my normal cocktail time.

Made two of these the other day. One with Ango, one with our house stuff. Both lovely drinks indeed!
I really love the reinforced bitter backbone from the PeM with the spice of the Ritt.

Made two of these the other day. One with Ango, one with our house stuff. Both lovely drinks indeed!
I really love the reinforced bitter backbone from the PeM with the spice of the Ritt.

That's exactly what makes it great, Bill. It's a perfect combination.

Love it when the synergy of ingredients brings out that 'oven-baked spice', that sort of hot molasses and ginger, and the incredibly dark, rich fruit. Mystery and magic.

It's so powerful though, so commanding, that I doubt I would ever want more than one. You'd have to either start or finish with this Manhattan.