Thanksgiving Cocktail

I just started drinking whiskey. At a fancy bar you can order off of the specialty menu, but at a merely decent bar your options are largely limited to "booze &" drinks. Rum & Coke, Vodka & Soda, Gin & Tonic. Unless you drink Manhattans. Because I'm new to bourbon and still have tastebuds and skin on my esophagus, I like them with a little extra cherry syrup.

At a recent work event, I was the first one at the bar (because I was setting up. And because I got priorities.) I ordered my Manhattan with a little extra cherry syrup, and got a very festive looking bright red cocktail. The red #4 in those Maraschino Cherries can withstand a few ounces of whiskey. After a few people mistook it for a Cosmo and were set straight, it became the drink of the evening.

But after going through a few jars of inedible Mezzetta Maraschino Cherries, just for their syrup, and even a jar of Luxardo, I wanted to make my own. Having missed the 3 week cherry season in San Francisco, I waited for cranberries to arrive instead. Well, it's November 8, and after confusing 3 Trader Joe's employees, I have them! Why not replace brandied cherries with brandied cranberries?

I took this NYTimes recipe for brandied cherries and the time estimates for this Food Network cranberry sauce.

Brandied Cranberries

1/2 c sugar
1/2 c water
2 whole cloves
1 2 inch piece cinnamon
3 allspice berries
1 8oz bag fresh cranberries
1/2 cup Cognac

1. Put spices into a tea bag*
2. Combine sugar, water, and spices in a small saucepan over medium heat and heat until the sugar dissolves
3. Add cleaned cranberries--they won't be submerged, and they float, so stir occasionally. Cook until they're softened, but only a few have popped
4. Remove the spices,^ and pour into a glass jar
5. Add the cognac and stir
6. Can be used when cool, but are better after a few days.

*These tea bags are good because they close with a flap like a sandwich baggie. Some brands don't close so you'd have to knot it or get clever.

^You can leave them in if you like that. My foray into Pumpkin Spice Lattes ended after 1 sip.

West Coast Harvard Cocktail

Now what to do with them? Sure, I could dive right into making Manhattans with my new red friends, but now I have this $38 bottle of Remy Martin Champagne Cognac (we chose it because it had the least ugly bottle of the 3 sold at TJ's. Yes, we opened to boxes to check.) and don't know what to do with it. To the internet! Searching "cognac cherry cocktail" led me to the Harvard Cocktail. A Manhattan's Sweet Vermouth and bitters and a pretentious name? Wonderful! I'm sure Increase Mather is turning in his grave, but we cobbled the drink together with what we had.

2 oz Cognac

1/3 oz brandied cranberry syrup

1/3 oz sweet vermouth

2 dashes Angostura bitters

• Shake with ice and serve in a coupe, with brandied cranberries.