A Classic Cocktail

It's tempting to say nothing, give no description and just park this photo here by itself. After all, there's so much that the photo has already shared with you: It was a cold night. You're sitting by a roaring fire. There may just be the perfect mix of Christmas Jazz streaming on Spotify. There is a fabulous cocktail in your immediate future and possibly another waiting on ice in the refrigerator.

So now that the photo has stolen my words, I'll wish you all a beautiful, safe and joy-filled holiday season filled with the elegance and simplicity of Manhattans by the fire, benne seed wafers and a sharp cheddar on a tray on the coffee table and sausage balls almost ready to pop out of the oven. Other than the good company of a few friends, there's nothing more required to make your spirits bright.

If you'd like a brief history of the Manhattan, one of my favorite classic cocktails, hop on over to Liquor.com for quick read and click here for the simple recipe. My recipe is the same, but instead of a dash of bitters, I use a sploosh of Aperol! *wink, wink*