The Story Behind The Maple Bacon Manhattan

Fall is in the air and that means whiskey drinks are coming into season – not that they were ever “out” of season to begin with, but the cool temps and crisp air always seem to make for the perfect excuse to indulge in a whiskey cocktail.

Today I’m sharing a classic whiskey cocktail with a twist: the famous Manhattan. To enhance the flavors of the season I’m adding some pure maple syrup to give it a deep toasty flavor and then a bit of bacon for garnish, because who doesn’t love bacon?

Maple syrup comes in a wide variety of flavors, from smoky to spicy. While any maple syrup will do, finding one that complements the rye whiskey makes the cocktail that much better, so taste a few before settling on the one you think is best. When I made these cocktails at home I wound up using Anderson’s Maple Syrup, a brand out of Wisconsin, as i found it enhanced the cocktail by adding notes of caramel corn and burnt sugar. These flavors complimented the vanilla, honey, and spice of the Bulleit Rye that I used in this Manhattan as well as the sweet vermouth.

Finally, I decided to accentuate the drink’s flavors by garnishing it with an orange peel and slice of bacon. The bacon compliments the maple syrup and is the perfect edible garnish for this drink. Not only is this garnish fun and delicious, but the aroma rounds out the experience of the drink.

Need the right sweet vermouth? See our picks for the best vermouth for Manhattans!

Ingredients

2 ounces of Bulleit Rye
½ ounce of sweet vermouth
¼ ounce of pure maple syrup
1 dash of angostura bitters
1 cup of ice

Directions

Fill a large glass with ice, rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, maple syrup, and bitters.
Stir mixture then strain into serving glass.
Garnish with bacon and orange peel.