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All cocktails Man O' War

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Man O' War

Hall of Fame and must know/try · Nightcap/sipping · Manowar

4.2 910 ratings

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz Bourbon whiskey
1/2 oz Triple sec
1/2 oz Rosso/sweet vermouth
1/2 oz Lemon juice
1/12 oz Sugar syrup 'rich' (2:1)
3 drop Saline solution 4:1

How to make

Serve in a coupe glass

Prepare

  1. 1 Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
  2. 2 Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist and skewered Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.

Method

  1. 3 SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
  2. 4 FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

  1. 5 EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and discard.
  2. 6 Garnish with skewered maraschino cherry.

Flavour profile

22.8% alc./vol. · 1.6 standard drinks · 180 calories

History

Zingy, sweet and sour, fruity and bourbon-laced. The sugar syrup is an addition to the classic build, and depending on your lemons and tastes, sugar syrup can be omitted or increased to 5ml (1/6oz).

This cocktail is thought to be named after an American thoroughbred, one of history's greatest racehorses, who won 20 of 21 races between 1919 and 1920. It is therefore believed to have originated in the mid-20th century, aligning with the horse's period of fame. However, one might expect such a cocktail to be featured in the numerous cocktail books published in the mid-1930s and following decades. No earlier reference has been found. Without further information, this drink will be considered a modern creation. American newspapers from 1915 do mention a "man-o'-war cocktail," but as The West Virginian reported on July 24, 1915, it was a very different concoction: "...made by putting one can of condensed milk in a gallon of hot water; pouring one quart of alcohol over six well-beaten eggs, adding two cups of sugar and some nutmeg (if you can get it). The result is a concoction that tastes not unlike a Christmas egg-nog." Alternatively, its name might stem from the "Man-O' War cocktail lounge" at the 120-room Holiday Inn, part of a ten-acre complex built on Route 132 in Cape Cod in 1969. Or perhaps it refers to another "Man-o'-War cocktail lounge" at the New Edgewater Beach Hotel, which opened in 1967 in Broward County, Southeast Florida. However, the connection to the racehorse is supported by The Indianapolis Star newspaper on April 30, 2015, where it was listed as one of three "Kentucky Derby Cocktails Done Right." 2. MAN O' WAR This citrusy cocktail is named after one of the greatest racehorses of all time. The legendary thoroughbred won 20 of his 21 races on his way into the history books. Nicknamed "Big Red," Man o' War won the Preakness and Belmont in 1920, but not the Derby, as his owner did not want him to run. 1.5 ounces Maker's Mark .5 ounces Cointreau .5 ounces Sweet vermouth .5 ounces fresh lemon juice Add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake and strain into a coupe.