Revolver
A Manhattan with coffee liqueur and orange bitters: bourbon, dark coffee and a flamed peel.
Jon Santer made the Revolver at Bruno’s in San Francisco in 2004, replacing the Manhattan’s vermouth with coffee liqueur and leaning on orange bitters to keep the drink from turning sweet. It is served up and flamed, which is where the theatrical reputation comes from — the burnt orange oil lands on the surface and stays in the first sip. Santer took it with him to Bourbon & Branch, and from there it spread into the modern classic repertoire.
- Coffee liqueurs built for bartenders — drier, more roasted, less sugary — appeared partly in response to drinks like this one.
- Revolver with rye instead of bourbon
- Black Manhattan (Averna instead of coffee liqueur)
“The drink is a coffee Old Fashioned in everything but name; the orange oil is doing the work of the bitters.”
Ingredients
- Bourbon60 ml
- Coffee liqueur15 ml
- Orange bitters2 dashes
- Orange peelflamed, to garnish
Method
Stir the liquids with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, flame an orange peel over the surface and garnish with it.
Coupe · no ice · flamed orange peel