Full Monte

Story:

The Full Monte is so named because it features Amaro Montenegro, a member of the amaro family.  An amaro is a bittersweet herbal liqueur, traditionally made by macerating or distilling all sorts of different botanicals in a neutral spirit or wine and then sweetening it with a sugar syrup.   There’s very little standardization beyond that – there are hundreds of amari with all kinds of different flavors and alcohol content.  This drink is based on the Reverse Manhattan, which swaps the 2:1 rye:vermouth ratio.  The Full Monte also substitutes an amaro for the vermouth.  It’s balanced, easy to make, and easy to drink.  There is a variant (Full Monte No. 2) that uses bourbon instead of rye, but I think the rye brings more character to the drink and makes it less sweet.  

Recipe:

2 oz Amaro Montenegro

1 oz rye whiskey (Rittenhouse)

1 dash Angostura bitters

         Garnish: orange twist (and Luxardo maraschino cherry if you have it)

-add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice; stir until well-chilled
-strain into a chilled rocks glass over fresh ice

-express orange twist over the drink. Drop in or discard.