Wow, this week has been a whirlwind. Between meetings and meet-ups, chores, recipe development and experimentation, and other tasks, I am ready to slow down and catch my breath. What better way to relax than with a new Happy Hour tipple – the Embarcadero. The Embarcadero cocktail is a variant of the Manhattan with amaro replacing the Angostura bitters. I was not able to find much more about this cocktail other than it is based on a recipe on Liquor.com from the renowned mixologist Claire Sprouse (@clairesprouse). I love researching the back story to the cocktail and I figured this one had to have an interesting one. But alas, it appears it does not or if it does, it has not been documented. Well, not having a back story will not diminish this cocktail’s ability to impress me. I have substituted the specific ingredients listed in the original recipe to match the ones I have at home. Since I like Manhattans (and nearly all other variants as my previous posts demonstrate), I figured this beauty would be no different and I was not wrong. Satisfying with well interwoven sweetness, spiciness, and bitter notes; I like this easy sipper a lot. Thanks Claire!

Chill a martini or cocktail glass with ice. In a mixing glass, add ice and all ingredients except the garnish. Stir to combine and thoroughly chill. Empty ice from glass and strain cocktail into chilled glass, adding a few ice cubes. Garnish with twisted lemon peel.

Enjoy!