Remember the Maine
A Manhattan with a memory.
Rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and cherry brandy in an absinthe-rinsed coupe. It recalls a Manhattan, but the cherry and anise notes give it a darker, more layered character.
- IBA · The Unforgettables
- After dinner
- Stirred
- Glass
- Coupe
- Method
- Stirred
- Strength
- Strong
- Time
- 4 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Ice
- No ice
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
Absinthe
7.5 ml
-
Rye whiskey
60 ml
-
Sweet red vermouth
22.5 ml
-
Cherry liqueur
15 ml
Garnish
- Lemon twist
Proportions
How to make
- Pour the absinthe into the coupe and swirl to coat the inside.
- Discard the excess absinthe and set the coupe aside.
- Fill a mixing glass three-quarters with ice.
- Pour the rye whiskey.
- Add the sweet red vermouth.
- Add the cherry brandy.
- Stir until well chilled.
- Strain into the absinthe-rinsed coupe.
- Garnish with lemon zest.
The story
Origins
DocumentedOrigin attested by written sources of the time.
The recipe first appears in 1939 in The Gentleman's Companion by Charles H. Baker Jr., a writer and traveller rather than a bartender. Baker tied it to a night in Havana in 1933, during the uprising that toppled the dictator Machado, when every sip was punctuated by explosions on the Prado. The name recalls the American battleship USS Maine, which blew up in Havana harbour in February 1898: 'Remember the Maine' became the slogan that pushed the United States into the Spanish-American War. Baker used cherry brandy; many later versions swap in Cherry Heering. Who actually created the drink is unknown.
Taste profile
- Strong
- 4 out of 5
- Herbal
- 3 out of 5
- Sweet
- 2 out of 5
- Fruity
- 2 out of 5
