I got to Mistral late, hoping to catch some of my work colleagues who were there for dinner. But alas, I was too late. Before I headed back to my hotel, I decided to stop by their apparently nicely appointed bar to ask them my favorite question.
I was greeted by Bill, my bartender, and he asked if I would prefer a standard Manhattan or something
off the beaten path. I couldn't resist. "Off the beaten path!" I responded. He proceeded to pull out a martini glass and garnished it with a couple of drunken cherries and a twist of orange peel. He then pulled out a large bottle, shook it once, and emptied a few ounces into a glass of ice, and as he stirred it, he explained this was a house Manhattan concoction crafted from gin instead of bourbon or rye. Gin! Seriously?!
I think Bill sensed my incredulity and responded by saying that it was premixed and aged for a month in a wood barrel (he pointed to the barrel resting off the side of the bar). When he poured it, it came out a pale caramel color, slightly lighter than what a standard Manhattan would appear. I asked the ingredients and he said it was made with Molet's gin, Dolan sweet vermouth, house made cherry bitters, and a bit of cherry juice.
Upon sipping it, I must say I was surprised. I am not a gin fan, but this was tasty if not a bit sweet, and very, very smooth. Quite refreshing for a hot summer day without the bite of a bourbon. Very drinkable. But it was devoid of the character that comes from a heady rye or bourbon. Still, given it was gin, I was very impressed. Five stars to Bill and the Mistral for this novel concoction!