A perfectly mixed and aged Rye Whiskey Manhattan in a single bottle.

A fateful tour of Maker's Mark Distillery in 2009 inspired David Perkins and his wife Jane to start their own operation. David — a former biochemist — basically said, “Hey, I can do that!” and moved his family to Utah and set up a shop. Success has come hard and fast, and they now produce and market a range of products including their four core Whiskeys, three current limited releases, two bottled cocktails, and two specialty spirits.

High West 36th Vote Barreled Manhattan gets it’s name from an important event in the history of the American spirits industry. In 1933 the State of Utah cast the 36th and deciding vote in the Constitutional amendment process to end Prohibition. We think that is definitely worth of a celebration, and this is High West's tribute to the 36th Vote! They concoct this impressive bottled cocktail by starting with their signature Double Rye Whiskey, Vya Sweet Vermouth, and famous Angostura Bitters. After blending, the cocktail is re-barreled in the same Rye Whiskey casks to age again for another 120 days. The results are incredibly smooth, spicy, and complex. Add a thin orange peel and Luxardo cherry and call it perfect.

Smartass corner:
Vya is one of the leading “new Vermouths” coming out of California. It is made from mostly Colombard grapes, with a bit of Valdepenas added for complexity. And while most Vermouths lean hard on wormwood, Vya has strong notes of ginger, cinnamon, and currant.