Powers Irish Whiskey unveiled its 100% Irish Rye, the first whiskey of its kind from the Emerald Isle.

Sesame Manhattan by Haera Shin Foley, Beverage Director of David Chang’s Momofuku. Photo by Gabi Porter

Distilled in 2017 at the Midleton Distillery, this newest member of the Powers family celebrated the launch at The Ivory Peacock in New York City last week, where eight of the world’s finest bartenders put their finest Irish spin on a classic Manhattan cocktail. From a deep sesame infusion to a bright and refreshing bubbly twist, these Manhattan variations will introduce you to a new world of spirits, glasswares, and garnishes to stash in your bartending bag of tricks.

Sother Teague flames an "orange coin" to finish his New Tricks. Do try this at home kids, but be careful until you get the hang of it. Photograph by Gabi Porter

What You’ll Need
1½ oz Powers Irish Rye
1 oz dry vermouth
½ oz Liquore Strega (A mint and juniper forward Italian saffron liqueur)
2 Dashes Banana Bergamot Bitters

How To Make It
Combine ingreidients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until very cold. Strain into a chilled rocks glass and flame the oils from an orange “coin” twist over the drink. Float the coin on top of the drink.

FOLLOW SOTHER TEAGUE ON INSTAGRAM
The beauty of DeGroff's Perfect Manhattan lies in the details as "King Cocktail" uses carefully selected ingredients and garnish to deliver a straightforward, delicious drink. Photo by Gabi Porter

What You’ll Need
2 oz Powers Irish Rye Whiskey
¼ oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
¾ oz. Cocchi Vermouth de Torino
2 dashes Dale DeGroff Aromatic Bitters
1 Bordeaux Cherry

How To Make It
Add Combine ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass over Cold Draft Ice cubes. Garnish with a Bordeaux Cherry.

FOLLOW DALE DEGROFF ON INSTAGRAM
Luis Serrano leans on Antica Carpano Amaro and Cherry Heering to balance his Ludwig's Manhattan. Photo by Gabi Porter.

What You’ll Need
2½ oz Powers Irish Rye Whiskey
1oz Carpano Antica
¾ oz Cherry Heering
2 dashes of Scrappy’s Orange bitters
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Gypsophila dried flower and brandy cherries for garnish

How To Make It
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into an Astoria glass and garnish with Gypsophila dried flower and 3 brandy cherries.

FOLLOW LUIS SERRANO ON INSTAGRAM
Haera Shin Foley takes inspiration from a childhood snack for her Sesame Manhattan.

What You’ll Need
2 oz Toasted sesame-washed Powers Irish Rye*
1 oz Wonmae Plum Rice Wine (Parks Street)
¼ oz Dolin Blanc (Haus Alpenz)
2 dashes Japanese Umami Bitters (Skurnik)
Sesame crunch candy

How To Make It
To make toasted sesame rye, Combine 750 ml Rittenhouse and 2 oz sesame in a quart container. Freeze overnight. Strain into a clean quart container with a coffee filter. To make the drink, combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until cold and strain into a Nick And Nora glass. Garnish with sesame crunch candy.

FOLLOW HAERA SHIN FOLEY ON INSTAGRAM

“My Manhattan variation inspiration is a Korean sesame crunchy candy, which I grew up eating as a child.”

— Haera Shin Foley

Meghan Dorman creates her Crown Alley, named after a popular street in Dublin to keep the city feel of the theme. Photo by Gabi Porter

What You’ll Need
1 dash orange bitters
1 teaspoon Giffard Apricot
1 oz Method Dry Vermouth
1 oz Powers Irish Rye

How To Make It
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice until chilled. Strain into champagne flute and top with 2 oz of brut sparkling wine (Dorman used Conquilla Cava). Garnish with a lemon twist.

FOLLOW MEAGHAN DORMAN ON INSTAGRAM

The vermouth and apricot highlight the classic notes of an Irish whiskey while allowing the robust rye to shine.

—Meaghan Dorman

Karl Franz leans on West African flavors to procure this Irish Rye based Manhattan. Photo by Gabi Porter

What You’ll Need
2 oz Powers Rye Whiskey
½ oz Roobis Infused Fonseca Bin 27 Port
½ oz Caperitif
2 drops Rice Vinegar Infused Olive Oil
Fresh ginger and lemon peel

How To Make It
Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a mixing glass over ice. Stir and strain into Nick and Nora glass. Rub the glass rim with ginger, express lemon peel over the drink, and finish with three drops of infused olive oil.

FOLLOW KARL FRANZ ON INSTAGRAM

“This drink combines the Irish Rye with African flavors, specifically the West African flavors common in Jollof Rice.”

— Karl Franz

Hermant Pathak goes dark with this Amari based variant, fragranced with a spritz of smoky single malt Scotch. Photo by Gabi Porter.

What You’ll Need
½ oz Powers Irish Rye
½ oz Amaro Nonino
½ oz Punt E Mes
Peated single malt Scotch spray to finish
Lemon Peel

How To Make It
Spritz a chilled Nick and Nora glass with Scotch (Pathak uses Ardbeg 10-Year-Old). Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until cold. Strain and garnish with a lemon peel.

FOLLOW HEMANT PATHAK ON INSTAGRAM
Brian Evans turns to fruit driven brandy and liqueur for this surprising Manhattan riff. Photo by Gabi Porter

What You’ll Need
2 oz Powers Rye
½ oz Yellow Chartreuse
¼ Dolin Dry Vermouth
1 tsp Giffard Lychi-Li Liqueur
½ tsp Clear Creek Pear Brandy
Lychee for garnish

How To Make It
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until cold and strain into a Nick And Nora glass. Garnish with lychee.

FOLLOW BRIAN EVANS ON INSTAGRAM
Photo courtesy of Irish Distillers
LEARN MORE ABOUT POWERS IRISH RYE WHISKEY

Spirits writers, marketers and designers are among the most influential forces in the spirits industry. Their opinions, ideas and creative talents inform and influence consumer perceptions and buying decisions. The John Barleycorn Society was started by a group of spirits journalists seeking to honor excellence in all facets of the industry. The journalists spent several years creating a comprehensive competition that became the John Barleycorn Awards. An elite team of authoritative and influential spirits journalists was selected to administer the flagship component of the Awards, a blind tasting competition destined to become the preeminent arbitrator of spirits taste, quality and character.