Black Manhattan part dieux.

3oz Rye Whiskey 1oz Amaro 3 dashes Black Walnut Bitters Traverse City Whiskey Co. Premium Cocktail Cherries

Add whiskey, amaro and bitters to a mixing glass 1/2 filled with crushed ice. Stir until very cold. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with cherries.

I took the advice of some Redditors here (risky, I know). Went to a straight 3:1 ratio whiskey to amaro. The MWND is finished in port barrels, so I eliminated the sweet vermouth.

Ditched the Fee Bros. black walnut bitters in favor of this one from Strongwater. There already are several aromatic spices present in that recipe, so no need for any other bitters; bonus it’s 40% abv.

Results in a spirit and spice forward drink, but the character of the whiskey is still very present. I think I’ll stick with this one for a while before more tweaking. Couldn’t be happier with the new brand of bitters.