Last Updated on January 15, 2023 by Heather Wibbels
Combining the flavors of a Sazerac and a Manhattan
Jump to RecipeSazeracs and Black Manhattans are two of my favorite whiskey cocktails. In this iteration, the dark color of maple syrup goes so well with whiskies as they are darker spirits, and a barrel-aged syrup lends color and notes of the barrel to any cocktail and especially this Manhattan.
I love a great Black Manhattan, and in this case, with the maple and Foro amaro, I felt like the licorice taste of Herbsaint added some floral notes to the heavier chocolate and coffee overtones from the amaro. Together, you get a cocktail that sits between a Sazerac (which originated in New Orleans – thus the reference to the Bayou) and a Black Manhattan. So I decided to call it Midnight on the Bayou as a reference to both. What I love about this one is that you get the licorice up front on the start of the sip, but after a sip or two, the chocolate and coffee notes from the amaro start to shine through and really make it a well-rounded cocktail.
This is one of those cocktails that changes on your palate as you drink it. It starts out with strong flavors of anise from the Herbsaint, but as the cocktail warms a tad and your palate acclimates, you get more and more chocolate and coffee dancing around with the rye whiskey. It’s also a cocktail that could easily set you back for the night if you have a few. Be careful, but enjoy every sip of it.
Other Old Fashioned Cocktails to Try
- Oleo Fashioned (made with oleo saccharum, an easy orange simple syrup)
- Who’s Your Daddy – A tiki coffee old fashioned
- Maple Old Fashioned
- Peanut Butter Old Fashioned
- Breakfast Old Fashioned
- Lavender Lemon Old Fashioned
- Blackberry Old Fashioned
- Perfect Old Fashioned
Recommended Bar Tools
You don’t need every slick, beautiful bar tool out there, but there are several I’ll recommend. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, that does not affect the cost of the items below.) My favorite pieces usually come from the Cocktail Kingdom section of Amazon:
You may already have these bar essentials, but just in case:
Midnight on the Bayou
Ingredients
- 0.25 oz Watson’s maple syrup
- 2 oz Rye whiskey
- 0.75 oz Foro Amaro
- 0.25 oz Herbsaint a licorice-flavored liqueur
- Garnish: star anise and/or candied ginger
Instructions
- Add cocktail ingredients to a mixing glass, add ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass and garnish with the star anise and candied ginger.
