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When asked to make a "spooky" cocktail suitable for October, ICE Instructor and Mixologist Garrett Mikell immediately understood the assignment.

He turned to a Black Manhattan, a variation on the classic Manhattan cocktail that replaces sweet vermouth with Amaro Averna, an Italian liqueur. The amaro imparts some slightly different bitter notes than the vermouth and, in true Halloween fashion, gives the drink a dark, mysterious hue. Garrett says that any amaro liqueur will work in this application as long as it's sweet enough.

Because of this, when Garrett makes a Black Manhattan, he takes his recipe to the next level by using Amaro di Angostura instead. This amaro's flavor profile is a bit more warming than Amaro Averna, and, in Garrett's opinion, elevates the beverage.

Get spooky with our mixology classes (which are open to the public) at ICE

"I personally love using Amaro di Angostura because it pairs great with the Angostura bitters that are already in the drink," he says.

This Black Manhattan recipe follows the traditional Manhattan cocktail formula: two ounces rye whiskey, one ounce Amaro di Angostura and two dashes of Angostura bitters. The 2-1-2 ratio is easy to remember for this drink specifically, since it's the phone area code for the drink's namesake borough of Manhattan in New York City.

When it comes to the dashes of bitters, using the full amount is non-negotiable. 

"Make sure to use strong dashes," he says. "At home most people tend to go light on the bitters, but they're what make this drink."

Garrett, who is a proud self-proclaimed mixology nerd, also advises home mixologists to make and mix the drink with uniformly-dense square ice cubes. Using high-quality ice like this will help the drink dilute evenly as it's mixed, creating a smooth, tasty final product.

"You should be treating mixology like a lab," Garrett says. "If a drink dilutes improperly, we're dealing with both lost flavor chemicals and also potentially lost profits when you're working at a high-volume bar."

Here's how to make this elegant, perfectly-eerie drink at home. (Plastic spider decoration optional.)

Recipe

Black Manhattan

Makes 1 drink

Ingredients

• 2 ounces rye whiskey
• 1 ounce Amaro di Angostura (or Averna amaro for a traditional Black Manhattan)
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Luxardo brand maraschino cherries, for garnish

Directions

1. Add the whiskey, amaro and bitters into a mixing glass with cubed ice and stir until appropriately chilled.
2. Strain into a coupe glass.
3. Gently drop one cherry into the drink as a garnish.