RON SWARNER: NEVER TOO EARLY TO DISCUSS BOOZE >>>

Face it: the Great Martini Revival is over, although those splendid silver bullets remain deliciously potent. Then there are cosmopolitans. Sure, they are wildly popular and pretty and tasty, but essentially we're talking girlie libation. Now that the damp is back in the South Sound air, it's time to broaden tastes. Think bourbon. Not neat. No need to go skid row or Hemingway.

Rather, think of the Manhattan.

I stopped by Merende last night after Third Thursday Artwalk for a warmer and a little blues by the Malcolm Clark Band. Bartender Nick suggested a different take on the classic Manhattan â�" the Mike Hoffman version.

2 oz Basil Hayden's bourbon whiskey
1 oz Amaretto
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
1 dash of maraschino cherry juice/liqueur

Itâ��s a sweetened-up whiskey beverage â�" smooth and balanced â�" served in a martini glass with a maraschino cherry. This spirited take on the Manhattan would impress the most weathered of whiskey drinkers. Stop by for one after shopping this weekend.

[il Trattoria di Merende, 813 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.722.1993]