Mondays are rough. When I wake up in the morning, my mind buzzes with everything on my To Do list, and I feel overwhelmed. But since summer, I have something to look forward to on Mondays—the creative search for a variation of my favorite cocktail, the Manhattan.

Inspired by my cousin, who posts pictures of himself and his wife testing new beers every Thirsty Thursday, I decided I needed some alcoholic alliteration in my life. Alan suggested Manhattan Mondays. Now, every Monday, we explore the wonderful world of Manhattans and all its variations.

While the Manhattan is simple, with only three ingredients (whiskey, vermouth, and bitters), it has a complex flavor profile. The combination of simplicity and complexity make it a great drink to riff off of. Swap out the vermouth for amaro, and you have the Black Manhattan. Add some maraschino liqueur to that amaro and swap out sweet vermouth and bitters for dry vermouth, and you have the Brooklyn. The variations are endless! And exploring those variations every Monday brings me pure joy, so much so that I can’t help but document it on Facebook and Instagram.