west fens

1 1/2 oz Tuthilltown's Hudson Manhattan Rye
3/4 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
2 dash Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry on the side.

For my last cocktail at the Citizen Public House, bartender Sean Frederick recommended a drink he created in the Manhattan vein. His tribute to the bar's neighborhood, the West Fens, was first created for bartender Jeff Grdinich (now of Drink, then of White Mountain Cider Co.) when he first sat at the Citizen's bar. Jeff requested a drink that would pair up with the pork schnitzel he had ordered. Sean has made the drink with a variety of ryes in the past, and this time he selected one from Tuthilltown in New York State.
The rye shone through on the West Fens' aroma along with the Aperol's fruit note, and the whiskey continued on as a spicy malt flavor in the sip that played well with the Carpano Antica. Next, the rye's barrel notes appeared at the beginning of the swallow along with the bitters' clove, and the swallow closed with the Maraschino liqueur flavor. The drink's recipe somewhat reminded me of Paul Clarke's Two Birds; however, Paul's use of crème de cacao and Peychaud's Bitters took the drink in a different direction than Sean's use of Maraschino and Decanter Bitters.