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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 Perfect 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 Perfect 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.
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This recipe is correct.
Old Overcoat is an excellent rye for cocktails.
A perfect manhattan is not subjective, not your opinion. "Perfect" means it was made with both sweet and dry vermouth.
but I'm sure you already knew that, since you've working at this for so many years....
Seriously - consult a bartender sometime.
Our apologies: substitute "ideal" for "perfect." It still tastes the same.
Ahh...the Manhattan has become my drink of choice over the last year or so. But you're right - I dread ordering them at bars. (Southern Comfort and amaretto? Who hired that bartender!)
I do use bourbon at home, not rye. For a while, Maker's Mark has been my preference, but just this weekend I decided to change it up and got some Buffalo Trace, having seen it listed among the Violet Hour's main Manhattan ingredients. I like it - it lends a sort of caramel note.
My vermouth is Noilly Prat Rouge. I usually shop at Binny's on Clark & Wellington, and they don't seem to carry the Carpano Antica - believe me, I've looked. When I first started making these at home I just bought the common Martini & Rossi, until I decided to take a chance on something else and gave the Noilly Prat a try. There was no looking back! I find Noilly Prat Rouge good enough I could drink it straight - something I'd never do with the cheap Martini & Rossi stuff.
As for cherries - I make my own. I buy a bunch of fresh cherries, pit them, put them in a jar, and cover with Luxardo Cherry liqueur. Then I leave that in the fridge. I wait at least a couple weeks before having one, and from there they just stay in the fridge for months til they're finally used up. Sometimes I'll even put a spoonful of the soaking Luxardo into a Manhattan.
Oh, and I almost forgot - the bitters. Usually I stick with Angostura, but Stirrings makes a Blood Orange Bitters that works great for a change.
I personally like to use brandy instead of whisky, straight up. With a dash of the juice in the cherry jar.
your use of the word "perfect" in this context does not comply with the recipe. It means something specific in relation to a cocktail. look it up.
vermouth, being wine, does go bad once opened (maybe 2 months after opened, if stored in fridge). That said, buying the expensive stuff may be a waste, or reason to drink more (or drink it at Violet Hour).