The 1872 Manhattan
China-China is one of my favorite amari. It is bitter orange flavored in the most delightful way. I often describe the flavor this way... “If Jägermeister and Grand Marnier had a love child it would taste like China-China”. (The nice people at Bigallet may find that upsetting but I mean it as a compliment). It offers a nice balance between herbal, bitter and sweet.
The distillery is in the French Alps in the alpine village of Isère, which is about a 2 hour drive SE from Lyon. Slightly interesting side note, this distillery is only about an hour from the distillery that makes Chartreuse. Part of my boozy bucket list is to visit both locations.
Established in 1872, the Bigallet distillery, created by Felix Bigallet, produces specialties from the Alps such as the “Grand Tétras” Génépi, Thyme and Vervain Liqueur and China China. Produced by Bigallet since 1875, China China is a bitter liqueur obtained from macerated and distilled orange peels blended with a bouquet of aromatic and spicy plants.
This cocktail is a variation on a Manhattan. My bar rye at home is the Highwest Double Rye. The flavor is great and the price point is reasonable enough to use in cocktails. I added the China China in place of the vermouth. The cocktail is finished with Knob Creek Smoked Maple to add a touch of smoke and the walnut bitters to round it out. It is slightly sweeter than a regular manhattan but the bitters help keep it from being too sweet and add some interesting depth to the drink. It’s named after the year the Bigallet distillery opened.
Manhattan 1872
1.5 oz Highwest Double Rye Whiskey
1 oz Bigallet China-China
.5 oz Knobcreek Smoked Maple Bourbon
2 dashes Black Walnut Bitters.
Stir of over ice until chilled and serve straight up in a coupe glass in a twist of orange.
This silver and glass serving plate in the photo featuring Rose window in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is one of my favorite gifts. I decided it would be the perfect background for my French inspired Manhattan. The light streaming through the plate, not unlike the original, is stunning. I’m so glad I was able to visit Notre Dame in person several years ago before it was ravaged by fire.
