Tea Cocktail: Pumpkin Spice Manhattan

You know the Ella and Louis version of "Autumn in New York?" it's warm, hazy, and sounds like sitting in the window of an old cafe in the West Village on a cold November evening?

Well, that's what our Pumpkin Spice Manhattan tastes like. That version of that song. We almost named this drink Autumn in New York, but decided to keep it simple. Pumpkin Spice, sweet vermouth, and whiskey pair well to give you a sweet, slightly smoky drink.

For the Pumpkin Spice Manhattan, you'll need:

2 oz Pumpkin Spice simple syrup*

1 1/2 oz whiskey

3 dashes bitters

1/2 oz sweet vermouth

Brandied cherry or lemon twist for garnish Start by making your Pumpkin Spice simple syrup. Boil water and remove from heat. Steep 2 tbsp Pumpkin Spice loose leaf tea in 8oz water for 5 minutes. When finished steeping, strain tea into glass or bowl.

Add 2 tbsp dark brown sugar and stir until dissolved.

In a cocktail shaker, add ice and combine all ingredients. At this step, you can either go the stir or shake route. If you prefer your Manhattans stirred, stir the ingredients for 10-15 seconds. If you like a vigorously shaken drink, to fully disperse that simple syrup, shake well for a couple seconds. Next, strain into either a chilled coupe glass or a rocks glass with ice (again, dealer's choice. We like a really cold drink and can get down with a Manhattan on the rocks). Garnish with a brandied cherry or orange peel, or nothing at all.