Ron’s ‘Armenian Manhattan’

My name is Ron, I’m the son-in-law of the authors of this
blog. My other qualifications for receiving this special assignment include
that I’m arguably Armenian – Armenian By Choice, the best kind of Armenian I’ve
been told – and that I live in Manhattan. Well, Upper Manhattan, but close
enough.

Mandy and I were visiting Doug and Robyn this past holiday
season.
A few days before Christmas, my in-laws hosted a neighborhood
gathering. Thanks to Robyn it was homemade Armenian Everything – lule kebab, lahmajoun,
yalanchi, sarma gurgood, zucchini ‘caviar’ (See this recipe at the bottom of the page.), basturma, string cheese, boregs and kadaif,
to name a few. There was even a priest from the nearby Armenian church in
attendance.

When Doug invited me to bartend, I said Yes! But he
mentioned a small challenge: An enthusiast of Manhattans (as in the cocktails)
would be in attendance, so I needed to ask Google for a refresher on how to
make one. Then I needed to make it Armenian, hence, The Armenian
Manhattan.


Otherwise, the concept of Robyn’s Armenian Everything
shindig would all fall apart at the bar.

Sitting atop Doug’s well-fortified, swing-open bar was a
big bottle of Ararat brandy, “the legendary Armenian brandy since 1887”. I
remembered some barkeeps use brandy as the secondary booze in a Manhattan, in
lieu of sweet vermouth. Well, Merry Christmas!, the ‘Armenian twist’ problem was
solved!

Recipe for ‘The Armenian Manhattan’ by an ‘A-B-C’


Serves: 4

Ingredients used for the Armenian Manhattan

Ingredients


1 Cup (8oz) Bourbon (Doug’s pick: Russell’s Reserve 10 Year)


½ Cup (4 oz) Brandy (Required: Ararat 3-Year – or make it
fancy with an older vintage)


8 Dashes Bitters (Doug’s pick: Angostura)


12 Cherries – Boozy cherries (Doug’s pick: Stonewall Bourbon Bada Bing Cherries)


4 Teaspoons Cherry Juice – Use juice from the jar of Boozy
cherries


12 Cubes of Ice -or- 4 single block cubes (My choice:
regular cubes – or make it fancy with a single block cube)

Preparation


Start by adding a cup of ice to a cocktail shaker. Slowly
add the Bourbon, Brandy, Cherry Juice and dashes of Bitters.


Prepare 4 cocktail glasses (rocks glasses work nicely) by
adding 3 regular cubes (or 1 single-block cube). 


Gently shake the mixture for 15 to 30 seconds.


Pour about 3 ounces (or 2 fingers) of the mixture into each
glass. Garnish each glass by adding 3 Bourbon Cherries.

Zucchini Caviar
Recipe adapted from https://www.gastrosenses.com

Ingredients:

4 medium-sized zucchinis, peeled and shredded

2 medium carrots, shredded

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

2 to 3 bay leaves

1 tsp. Aleppo pepper (or substitute 1 tsp. paprika and 1/4
tsp. cayenne pepper)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. granulated sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Place shredded zucchinis in a large, clean, kitchen towel. Roll up the towel and squeeze out the
excess liquid.

In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil on medium. Add
strained zucchinis, onions and carrots; sauté for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Next, add diced tomatoes, tomato (or red pepper) paste, garlic, bay leaves, sugar and salt and pepper, to
taste.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Mixture should not be watery. If it is, continue to cook until almost all of the excess liquid is evaporated. 
Remove and discard bay leaves. 

Place mixture in a bowl and allow to cool slightly. Add the
mixture into a blender or food processor. (You might have to do this in batches).
Puree until a thick, creamy texture is achieved. 

To serve: Spread zucchini caviar on toasted
baguettes, or, serve with your favorite crackers, chips, bread – such as pita
or lavash – and/or vegetable sticks.