Recipe and photo courtesy of Robyn and Doug Kalajian at thearmeniankitchen.com.
Family gatherings are important, especially when loved ones live far apart. This past Christmas was significant for Robyn Kalajian’s family because it was the first time her daughter, Mandy, and son-in-law, Ron visited Robyn and husband Doug in their new home in South Carolina – together. Before they arrived, Robyn asked what family dishes they wanted her to prepare. Their list was long, and included recipes Mandy and Ron love, but do not have time to prepare. Robyn’s menu included Armenian lule kebab, pilaf, lahmajoun, yalanchi, sarma gurgood, to zucchini caviar, basturma, string cheese, boregs and kadaif, to list a few. Once cooking began, Robyn turned her efforts into a party so friends and neighbors could meet Mandy and Ron. Robyn reports an Armenian priest was also in attendance from a nearby church. The Kalajian Christmas and Armenian-themed party was born. Before the party, Doug asked Ron to create a Manhattan cocktail, “but Armenian style with a twist.”*
“Sitting atop Doug’s large, swing-open bar in the living room was a bottle of Ararat Brandy,” Ron reports. “The label read, ‘The legendary Armenian brandy since 1887.’ I remembered that New York barkeeps often use brandy as the secondary ingredient in a Manhattan cocktail, in lieu of sweet vermouth, so the ‘Armenian style with a twist’ problem was solved.” Ron says his new cocktail was made in large batches for the party guests, and went down “very smoothly.”
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (8 oz.) bourbon (Suggestion: Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Old)
- 1/2 cup (4 oz.) brandy (Ararat 3-Year-Old Armenian Brandy or use older vintage)
- 8 dashes Angostura bitters
- 12 bourbon cherries (such as Stonewall Bourbon Bada Bing Cherries)
- 4 teaspoons cherry juice (use juice from jar of cherries)
- 12 cubes of ice or 4 single-block cubes (Use regular cubes or make it fancy with a single-block cube)
Serves 4.
Preparation:
