Traditionally, this is Manhattan season. Far be it for me to disagree with tradition. A well-made Manhattan is a good drink any time of year, and even better at the onset of fall.
But what if you've had a lot of Manhattans? What if, somehow, you just don't want a Manhattan?
You could always drink a Black Manhattan, which subs herbal, bitter Averna for the sweet vermouth. Or a Boulevardier, which is sort of a cross between a Manhattan and a Negroni. Or a Left Hand, a chocolatey, rich, desert version of a Boulevardier.
All good ideas.
But let me suggest that what you really want - if you have the ingredients - is a little-known Negroni/Manhattan riff called the Nassau Street.
Equal parts (1 oz) Laird's Straight Apple Brandy, Punt E Mes, & Cynar, plus Peychaud's bitters, it's an apple-forward Boulevardier variation, served up like a Manhattan. Drink it outside, on an unswept patio covered in autumn leaves. It tastes like fall.
If you have too many bottles, by which I mean the right amount of bottles, let me suggest a couple similar drinks:
WhistlePig isn't quite the best rye I've ever had, and it's slightly too pricey, but it might be the most flawless and consistent. Hard to think of another rye that better defines the upper end of the category.
As rye goes: Redemption is medicinal. Old Forester is fine but has a funky aftertaste. Sagamore is genuinely interesting but better in theory than in concept. Bulleit and Dickel are workhorses. Old Overholt is the best $18 you'll ever spend, but not exactly a fancy sipper.
Rittenhouse is ideal for cocktails. I use it in nearly every rye-based drink I make, and it never fails as base ingredient. But it's weak on the nose, and a bit tame for sipping straight.
*yeah yeah I know, not all states, capacity limits, actually in some localities, plenty of outdoor space, whatever IT'S A MOUNTAIN DEW MARGARITA THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR QUIBBLING
Just as Prohibition left its mark on American drinking culture a century ago—memory-holing classic drinks for generations and ushering in the era of the speakeasy—so too will today's restrictions on bars. This is the New Prohibition.