Jefferson's / Esquire Barrel Finished Manhattan

Jefferson's collab with Esquire Magazine Barrel Finished Manhattan...$35.99

Everyone could always go for a good Manhattan and now you won't have to go to the trouble of preparing one anytime soon. Esquire, as our astute readers might have picked up over the years, is no stranger to cocktails, and neither is Jefferson's Bourbon, we've teamed up with them to create the ultimate Manhattan… and then bottle it. The result, The Manhattan: Barrel Finished Cocktail, was narrowed down from dozens of taste-tests and then aged for 90 days in bourbon barrels. Now the only thing left for you to do is to add ice. To pick up your own bottle of The Manhattan: Barrel Finished Cocktail ($39.99) at stores around the country. - Esquire Magazine

NEW YORK, April 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Esquire and Jefferson’s Bourbon today announced the launch of their first ever collaboration: The Manhattan: Barrel Finished Cocktail. Crafted with the editors of Esquire, this new pre-batched cocktail will be available at select retailers nationwide beginning April 1, 2015.

The new Esquire & Jefferson’s Manhattan: Barrel Finished Cocktail was conceptualized in 2013 byEsquire‘s Editor-in-Chief David Granger and Jefferson’s Bourbon founder Trey Zoeller, in an effort to provide bourbon enthusiasts with a barrel-finished bottled cocktail that enhances the experience of enjoying a classic. In search of delicious, oaky notes and a well-balanced flavor profile, Granger and Zoeller (aided by various Esquire staffers) tested dozens of recipes together until they narrowed down the options to just three recipes. Those three options were then aged for 90 days in bourbon barrels until just one stood out as a superiorManhattan. The finished product is comprised of six-year-old bourbon – 125 proof cut down to 82.3 – both sweet and dry vermouth, and barrel-aged, spiced cherry bitters. Enjoy it as you would anyManhattan: on the rocks or stirred and strained over ice.

“Esquire covers the wide-ranging interests of men and one of our primary passion points is drinking and the culture of drinking,” saidDavid Granger, editor-in-chief ofEsquire. “It’s been a joy working with Trey on finally putting our considerable drinking experience to some productive use. (It was also good to drink lots of his whiskey). And it’s particularly gratifying that our distinctive version of the classic cocktail tastes so damn good.”

The expertly crafted cocktail in a bottle was created for the modern man who appreciates the experience of a quality drink along with the ease of a pre-bottled cocktail.

“What I enjoyed most about making this Manhattan with Esquire was the collaborative process of creating a well-rounded cocktail that elevated the typical bourbon drinking experience,” said Trey Zoeller. “It took us over two years of experimentation and communication to hone in on a drink we’ve always wanted at our home bar but was never easily available, and we were finally able to create something that is both innovative and accessible.”

This is a joint partnership between Esquire, Jefferson’s and Hearst Brand Development. The cocktail collection will be available at select venues and retail locations both in-store and online nationwide. -- Bevnet