Perfect Manhattan
While we have been on a bit of an Old Fashioned kick recently, early endeavors to capitalize on my love of whisky always led me to the Manhattan. Still the drink I’ll usually order out, I’ve perfected the ability to make one at home (and my mother has contributed a variation on the theme with her signature French Manhattan!). If you’re looking for a perfect way to end your week, start your weekend, or deal with an idle Tuesday, try my Perfect Manhattan recipe. And if you’re a Northern Virginian-er, I highly recommend trying Clarity’s signature Manhattan selection in Vienna, VA for a top notch libation. Note that I like my Manhattans on the sweeter side, juxtaposed with the drier, rye-based Manhattan garnished with a lemon or orange twist, not a cherry. 🍋🍊🍒🥃
what you need
🥃2 parts (2oz) bourbon of choice (I like Woodford Reserve, Angel’s Envy, or Breckenridge, though Michter’s is also a good option).
🍷3/4 parts sweet, red vermouth. (I prefer Dolin Rouge).
🌿2 dashes bitters. (Bitters are part of what give your cocktail character. For a standard, sweet, herbaceous Manhattan, stick to Agostura Aromatic Bitters. To deepen the flavor, I will turn to Scrappy’s or Angostura’s Cocoa Bitters, or Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters [careful, these are strong!]. The final standby, to liven your cocktail up a bit, are Peychaud’s Bitters which add a distinctly bright citrus quality).
🧊1 large ice cube.
🍒1 cocktail cherry. (see notes below on cocktail cherry options)
how to make it
Place one large ice cube (I have 2″ cube trays) or two small ice cubes (1″) in your cocktail glass.
In separate glass, pour in the bourbon, vermouth, and bitters. Stir gently. Do not shake.
Pour cocktail over the ice cube into the cocktail glass. Garnish with 1-2 cocktail cherries on a toothpick.
🍒Special notes on cocktail cherries. There can be a lot of kerfuffle around cocktail cherries. Suffice it to say that the standard, radioactively pink maraschino cherry has never been my thing. Originally, maraschino cherries were simply Italian Marasca cherries macerated and preserved in sugar and some form of alcohol along the Croatian coastline. Today, the bastardized maraschino cherry that sits atop a Dairy Queen Sunday is a prime example of what the United States is capable of doing to foreign delicacies by sprinkling them with a little mass production.
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So which cherries are suitable for a cocktail as elegant as a Manhattan? The answer is the same for vermouth… and the same for bitters… the Italian ones. Some of my favorites are Fabbri Amarena cherries, which are small, sour cherries that are delivered to you in an ornate white and blue vessel. The sweetest and arguably most authentic are the Luxardo marasca cherries. These will always have a place in my fridge. Finally, a viable option, and the ones that are most like regular American cherries if the candied cherry thing turns you off, are the Jack Rudy Bourbon Cocktail Cherries, made with Oregon cherries and Kentucky bourbon.🍒
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