Properly Sauced: The Ideal Manhattan
By Rob Christopher in Food on Nov 17, 2008 7:30PM
Now that the weather has turned cold, it's the ideal time for whiskey. And alongside the Old Fashioned, there's no better whiskey cocktail than the Manhattan. Like most classic drinks, it's surprisingly easy to make ... but seemingly even easier to screw up. We still haven't quite gotten over the time we ordered a Manhattan at Hydrate, only to be served a vile concoction of Southern Comfort and amaretto. The less said about that the better.
Our Ideal Manhattan, the end result of trial and error over the years, balances power with a soft finish. And it's pretty darn easy to make.
The Ideal Manhattan
2 oz. Old Overholt rye whiskey
3/4 oz. Carpano Antica vermouth
Angostura bitters
Take a double old-fashioned glass and fill it almost full with cubed ice. Douse the ice with 2 dashes of bitters. Add the rye and vermouth. Stir gently. Serve.
Most Manhattans use plain old whiskey and bottom-shelf sweet vermouth, resulting in an inspid, sickly-sweet drink. But if you use rye instead, the drink has a persuasive bite on the front end. Paired with Carpano Antica, arguably the best vermouth in the world, the initial sharpness dissolves into a pleasant amber cloud of spice, cherry and vanilla. We always like our Manhattans served on the rocks, because as the ice melts the drink's flavors mingle further and become delightfully mellow.
Old Overholt rye is quite inexpensive and widely available. You could substitute it with Rittenhouse or another rye, if that's more to your liking. But there's no substitute for Carpano Antica, only recently available in the US, which is based on the very first vermouth recipe created by Antonio Benedetto Carpano circa 1786. It's the Perfect Manhattan's secret ingredient (and a favorite of The Violet Hour). Sold in a tall metal cylinder, it's on the expensive side; but keep in mind that you're only using 3/4 oz. per drink. Both rye and vermouth are available at Sam's Wine.
And yes, you can garnish it with the traditional maraschino cherry if you want.