Binny's Blog

Our new Clark & Sheffield VSOP Cognac is the perfect base for this tropical riff on the classic Sidecar cocktail.

We love a good tasting experiment on Barrel to Bottle, so this week we're making Manhattans. A lot of Manhattans. So many Manhattans that we can't keep track of how many we're making. We tried 21 different bitters to see which one makes the best Manhattan.

Originally, the Sazerac cocktail was made with French brandy. In 1873, the recipe for the Sazerac Cocktail was altered to replace the French brandy with American Rye whiskey. We decided to recreate the original with Hennessy Cognac - plus ginger syrup, a few dashes of barrel aged bitters, and of course, a heavy absinthe rinse.

If you're not familiar with this classic cocktail, it is widely known as an aperitif but most certainly can be enjoyed as a cocktail at any time. The drink's origins are pretty much unknown but what we do know is how it got its name.