This Anniversary Manhattan recipe featuring Vya Vermouths comes to us from our friend @reallyicetomeetyou Ryan Zullo, who created it in celebration of his 12th wedding anniversary. Here is what Ryan shared about his Anniversary Manhattan:

A cocktail can be more than just a beverage that you consume in order to have a good time. To me, it’s a key to open a door that instantly brings you back to an unforgettable memory.

Since I’ve known her, this has always been the cocktail of choice. When we achieved a personal goal, we celebrated with a Manhattan. When we celebrated our engagement, she ordered a Manhattan. When we got married, the “Mrs. Cocktail” at the ceremony was a Manhattan.

This year we are celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary and since we know a Manhattan will be in hand, we decided to celebrate with Vya vermouth. Vya continues to impress me with the vermouth that they continue to make. A balance between that rich, Italian-style sweet vermouth and the light, but full of botanicals and floral notes, whisper dry vermouth pair perfectly with the spice of rye whiskey.

The bitter, yet sweet, earthy orange flavors of the Aperol may just make you think differently about how you serve your traditional cocktail. And just like she will always choose the same side of a Black & White Cookie, she always drinks her Manhattan over a large ice cube. So let’s get fancy and make an Anniversary Manhattan with a twist!