Herbaceous, cherry, mint, caramel
With a little cherry sweetness and an absinthe undertow, this may be the ultimate burger or steak cocktail.
Similar to a Manhattan but with more complexity, Charles H. Baker recounts quaffing these during Batista’s military coup in Cuba in 1933. The name references the sinking of the USS Maine in the Havana harbor in 1898, an event that precipitated the Spanish-American War. We’ve fallen for this smoky libation that captures the tension of political upheaval.
2 ounces rye whiskey (Rittenhouse or Old Overholt)
¾ ounce (22 ml) sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica)
2 teaspoons cherry heering
Absinthe, to rinse the glass
Cherry, for garnish
Rinse a chilled coupe glass with absinthe. Stir ingredients with ice and strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with the cherry.