Remember the Maine
Last night I wanted a cocktail but didn’t really feel like too much fuss. I wasn’t in the mood to squeeze fresh citrus or go foraging through my yard for fresh herbs to make a fancy syrup. When I find myself wanting something simpler, I usually start with whiskey. Often I’ll land on an Old Fashioned but I decided to make Remember the Maine, which is somewhat of a cross between a Manhattan and a Sazerac. Made with rye whiskey, Cherry Heering, sweet vermouth, and a touch of absinthe, it’s an easy to make cocktail that makes for a nice sipper on a cold autumn night.
PUNCH gives a great history of the cocktail, which was named after a U.S. naval ship, The Maine. The drink gets its name from an old war rallying cry after the ship exploded in 1898, while off the coast of Havana, which at the time was controlled by Spain. The chant was “Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain.” The cocktail was discovered in the late 1930s by Charles Baker and included in his book, The Gentleman’s Companion.
I really enjoyed the cocktail. With the addition of Cherry Heering, it’s like a Manhattan with an extra cherry! Don’t even talk to me about a Manhattan without a cherry! Cocktail cherries are essential! You can go big with some Luxardo cherries or you can pick up my personal favorite, Bada Bing Cherries by Stonewall Kitchen. These can be found in most markets. The cherry flavor in the cocktail is balanced out with absinthe. Now, I’ve seen the recipe written a couple of ways- one way is to swirl the absinthe in the cocktail glass such as you would when making a Sazerac. The other way is to add a 1/2 teaspoon directly to the cocktail mixture. I’ve made it both ways. The absinthe is more noticeable if you roll it around the glass. I'd say it’s personal preference depending on whether or not you appreciate the anise scent of absinthe. I think I prefer rolling it around the glass. Either way, if you’re in the mood for a good whiskey cocktail, give this one a try!
Remember the Maine
Ingredients:
2 oz rye whiskey
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
1/4 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 teaspoon absinthe
cocktail cherries, as garnish
Method:
Swirl absinthe around a chilled cocktail glass, discard any excess. In a mixing glass, combine the rye, vermouth and Cherry Heering. Add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into prepared cocktail glass. Garnish with cocktail cherry.
