In this edition of cool stuff in ski towns, Curbed Ski brings you a look at the latest new trend to hit the Aspen high country: "make your own Manhattan" menus. Chefs Club, the innovative concept restaurant located in the St. Regis hotel (one of our Essential 38 hotels), is upping the ante with Manhattans of all sorts. Says newly appointed bar director Anthony Bohlinger, "I love whiskey, and the link between the kitchen and the bar. This is a great way to get customers involved in the process." Bohlinger, who is also heading up the drinks program at Chef Clubs forthcoming sister restaurant in New York, created cards featuring 20 top-shelf- and often difficult to find- types of domestic bourbon, rye, and whiskey, five brands of vermouth, and 10 bitters (spiced chocolate, Creole, celery, and rhubarb to name a few).
But wait- there's more. You can further customize your cocktail with a choice of modifiers running the gamut from Unicum Szilva (a Hungarian plum digestif) to Colorado's own Dancing Pine Black Walnut Bourbon Liqueur. Garnishes? Think housemade brandied cherries, thyme, or classic orange or lemon twists. After patrons check off their choices, the cards are signed and dated by the bartender, and you're left with a memento detailing your beverage preferences. If nothing else, you also score a souvenir of why your head hurts so much the morning after (don't worry, we have a cure for that).
-By Laurel Miller
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