The Verrazano takes the bourbon Manhattan—no rye Manhattan, but still a toothsome tipple—and bangs it into third gear. A little apricot brandy for lushness, a rinse of Campari (the impossibly red, impossibly bitter Italian aperitif), and the right vermouth and badabing badaboom! (As they say in stereotype-ridden dramatic entertainments set on the banks of the Verrazano Narrows.)
Splash of Campari (for rinsing the glass)
2 ounces 100-proof bourbon
1 ounce Cinzano red vermouth
1/2 teaspoon imported apricot brandy
To finish: lemon peel
Pour the Campari into a chilled cocktail glass, twirl it to coat, and pour the excess out. Stir the bourbon, vermouth, and brandy (with ice, of course) and strain it into the glass; twist lemon peel over the top.
