To riff on the classic Manhattan, Major Tom bar managers Nathan Wry and Wyatt Sutherland selected Suntory Toki Japanese whisky, then tried several sweet vermouth alternatives before settling on Montenegro amaro for its floral quality. The apricot liqueur added the fruitiness that a Manhattan’s Luxardo cherry would bring to the party, but they still felt something was missing: a bit of nuttiness.
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Major Tom’s All the Way Up offers a twist on the Manhattan with Suntory Toki Japanese whisky, Montenegro amaro, apricot liqueur and pistachio.
Almond was too common, so their intuition led them to pistachio. The nuts are toasted, heated sous–vide in canola oil, then combined with the whisky for several hours before being “fat washed” (the whole mixture is frozen, the resulting fat cap removed, and the whisky strained). Voilà! A brilliant riff on a time–tested favourite.
Wry, who picked up some tricks at the London branch of the legendary, now–closedbar Milk & Honey, says Calgarians are “stoked about making the cocktail scene really cool,” and push each other to up the city’s game.