Growing and fine-tuning my home bar (ok, the double kitchencabinet where all the booze lives) is high on the mission list for fall. After all, that’s when staying in for the night while nursing a homemade cocktail and listening to a stack of records sounds better than ever. What’s been glaringly absent from my collection for a while are cocktail accouterments like bitters, even though they are now a ubiquitous presence at many an artisanal-minded store. Well, no longer am I bitter-less with the addition of Cecil & Merl’s new Cherry Bitters (available at cecilandmerl.com), the latest release in their line of elegantly crafted gourmet goodies. Handmade using raw ingredients like Calamus and Quassia and zero flavor agents, the small-batch bitter with sweet (thanks to a hint of vanilla) and sour cherry notes is ideal in a classic Manhattan, adds a lovely touch to dessert sauces, and is bright and refreshing on its own with club soda. Here, Deborah and Bryan, the pair behind Cecil & Merl (and Brooklyn restaurant James) share two of their favorite Cherry Bitters based recipes. Bottoms up! FIORELLA V.
THE CHERRY AREA
2 oz Cognac
.5 oz Benadictine
.5 oz Sweet Vermouth
C&M Cherry Bitters
Combine the ingredients in a mixing glass with two generous dashes of C&M Cherry Bitters; stir and strain over large ice cubes in a rocks glass. Garnish with lemon twist and a cherry.
THE GENERAL WASHINGTON
1 oz Applejack
1 oz Rye Whiskey
.25 oz Simple syrup (try using Sugar in the Raw)
C&M Cherry Bitters
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with four generous dashes of C&M Cherry Bitters. Stir with historic pride. Strain over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry and an orange twist.
