Manhattan Monday

If you haven’t gleaned it already, I’m a man who changes with the seasons.  I like linen in summer and flannel in winter.  I love the scent of flowers in the spring and spices in the fall.  And, like many people, I eat and drink with the seasons as well. 

I always love a good martini, but as the temperatures drop I’m enticed to make them less and less.  Whisky, cognac, interesting stouts and dark Belgian ales dominate my drinking life, but there are a few cocktails that creep in now and again.  One of these is the classic Manhattan (the other big one is a Sazerac, which I’ll show you next week), essentially a reddish martini to match the leaves.

Classic Manhattan

2 parts Rye Whiskey
1 part Sweet Vermouth
Dash Angostura Bitters

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a cherry.

Now for my being prissy.  Use Rye, not Bourbon.  With few exceptions, a Bourbon Manhattan is like a Vodka Martini – not a Manhattan.  Also, don’t be afraid of vermouth.  Even if you’re a “whisper of vermouth” martini person, good whiskey holds up to the vermouth and balances quite nicely.  Again, here’s where Rye beats Bourbon hands down.  Instead of the sweet Bourbon flavors combining with the vermouth to make something that tastes like candy, you get the spice and menthol notes of the Rye enhancing the herbal qualities of the vermouth and vice versa.

Oh, and don’t plonk a sickly looking red candied cherry into a perfectly good cocktail.  Keep some dried Bing cherries soaked in brandy in a little glass jar in your refrigerator.  They reconstitute partially and get a great slightly sour, slightly boozy taste.  Stick one on a pick and you’re good to go.  And as always, the most important thing about a cocktail – Enjoy!