Brasserie Amie’s Manhattan

Bottoms Up

By Lynda Wheatley | April 30, 2022

Our senior writer comes from a long line of Manhattan drinkers. Her family recipe has always been two fingers of cheap Canadian whisky, one finger of cheap sweet Vermouth (usually Gallo), a dash of bitters, and a single, wax-like preserved cherry (also cheap). So imagine her awe at Traverse City’s Brasserie Amie, when a Manhattan left her questioning her entire upbringing. Because she prefers bourbon to whisky, the bartender pointed her to a bottle of Woodbridge. Then he bypassed the Gallo for Carpano’s Antica Formula, skipped the bitters, and dunked in a house-made boozy cherry. Sacre blu! She was so taken with the smooth, slightly sweet delight that she called up for the recipe. The kind mademoiselle who answered the phone told her not only the vermouth the Amie uses but also directed her to TC’s The Beverage Company, where it’s sold! Our writer’s homemade version (substituting Amie’s boozy cherries with the $18 yet oh-so-worth it Luxardo Maraschino cherries, also available at Bev Co.) was not quite as dazzling as Amie’s own but so much better than her cherished family recipe. brasserieamie.com