The Left Hand
A bourbon-led cousin of the Manhattan and Negroni, where chocolate bitters add dark, spiced depth to every sip.
Ingredients
- Bourbon45 ml
- Campari22.5 ml
- Sweet vermouth, ideally a rich, vanilla-sweet vermouth22.5 ml
- Chocolate bitters3 dashes
- Orange, to garnish (optional)1 twist
Method
- Fill a mixing glass with plenty of ice.
- Pour in the bourbon, Campari, sweet vermouth and chocolate bitters.
- Stir calmly for 15–30 seconds, until the glass is ice cold and frosted.
- Strain into a chilled coupe.
- Twist a piece of orange peel over the drink to release its oils and drop it into the glass, or use a brandied cocktail cherry instead.
Sam Ross, Milk & Honey, New York
About this drink
Sam Ross created The Left Hand at Milk & Honey in New York in the 2000s as a cross between a Manhattan and a Negroni. Its bourbon-heavy 2:1:1 ratio sets it apart from its cousin the Boulevardier, and the chocolate bitters, then the brand-new Bittermens Xocolatl Mole, add a dark, spiced depth that ties it all together. It started a whole family of 'hand' cocktails at Milk & Honey, including Michael McIlroy's rum-based Right Hand.
Questions and answers
How is The Left Hand related to the Right Hand?
They are siblings from Milk & Honey: The Left Hand is the bourbon version, the Right Hand swaps in aged rum. Both lean on chocolate bitters for their dark, complex depth.
Can I replace the chocolate bitters in The Left Hand?
A few dashes of Angostura take it in a more classic, spiced direction. You lose the chocolate note but keep the drink's essential bittersweet balance.
