Walnuts Take Manhattan

By Nicholas Ciccone
Total Time
20 Mins
Serves
4
Meal
Dinner
Course
Beverages

DESCRIPTION

Bring the East and West coasts together with this twist on a classic Manhattan, which features bourbon-soaked California walnuts.

Prep Time
10 Mins
Cook Time
10 Mins
Total Time
20 Mins
Calories
680 cal
Total Fat
4 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
0 mg
Carbohydrates
5 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Protein
1 g

Ingredients

Smoked Walnut - Infused Bourbon

  • 1 bottle Roses Single Barrel Bourbon
  • 2 pounds California walnuts, halved
  • Cedar wood chips

Smoked Walnut Manhattan

  • 8 ounces Smoked Walnut-Infused Bourbon
  • 1 ounce Amaro Sibilla
  • 1 ounce Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur
  • 6 dashes Bittermen's Mole Bitters
  • 12 California walnuts, bourbon-soaked, as garnish
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • ¼ cup ice, cracked
  • 4 lemon peel strips, expressed

Preparation

  1. Soak wood chips in water to moisten. Place in a large hotel pan and set on a grill over high heat until they begin to smoke.
  2. Place walnuts in a perforated hotel pan. Cover and set over wood chips. Allow to smoke for 10 minutes or until a nice, even smoke flavor has penetrated the nuts. Remove and let cool.
  3. Combine smoked nuts and bourbon in a large glass bowl or jar. Cover tightly and let infuse for at least one month. Strain off walnuts using a fine strainer to remove any small bits, reserving some walnuts for garnish.
  4. Place walnut infused bourbon, amaro, liqueur and bitters in a pitcher. Add ice and stir 50 to 60 turns until well chilled and properly diluted.
  5. Place four whole soaked walnuts in the bottom of four chilled coupe glasses. Thread 8 walnuts onto 4 short skewer.
  6. Strain cocktail into glasses. Express lemon oil and wipe the rim of each glass with lemon peel; discard peel. Garnish each with a walnut skewer.