Cherry Chai Manhattan

A seductive winter sip, this chai Manhattan unites bourbon with sweet cherry and cozy spices. It's perfect for a chilly evening and especially for Valentine's Day.

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Simple Syrup

  • 6 whole cinnamon sticks
  • 1 c water
  • 1 c granulated white sugar

For the Cocktail

  • 2 oz high-quality bourbon
  • 0.5 oz Luxardo liqueur
  • 0.25 oz cinnamon simple syrup
  • Barspoon of Luxardo cherry syrup
  • Few dashes of chai bitters
  • Luxardo cherry

Instructions

  1. To make the cinnamon simple syrup, combine the cinnamon sticks with the water and sugar, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a low boil. Boil until the mixture has reduced significantly and turned a light amber color. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  2. Strain the simple syrup through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any wayward cinnamon stick bits.
  3. Put the simple syrup in a jar or container and chill it for several hours.
  4. To make the cocktail, combine everything except the cherry in a cocktail stirring glass, then stir well with ice.
  5. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a Luxardo cherry.