TIBT: The Original Gangster

It is worth noting that I have procrastinated writing about this particular cocktail for a dramatic amount of time; not because I’m not fond of it, and not because I don’t know the proper proportions and technique required to create it in all of its splendor, but perhaps because it is a cocktail of such prominence in the history of whiskey – and one that has been so frequently distorted and deformed from its original flawless form by so many other “experts” and wannabes…that in spite of my perfectionism, I find myself hesitating.

In my book, the Manhattan is the original gangster. Sure – the Old Fashioned is generally hailed as king of the classic whiskey cocktails throne, but I’d like to stand on technicality here and state that the Old Fashioned isn’t technically a “mixed” drink. Some sugar, a fruit rind, a few dashes of bitters and a splash of soda don’t constitute a “mix” (at least in my opinion); until you add another spirit or juice, you are merely enhancing the presence of the main spirit in your drink. The Manhattan, on the other hand, is the immaculate combination of just the right amount of bold, spicy rye whiskey and velvety smooth rouge vermouth, with a few dashes of angostura bitters to bridge the gap between the two. Whoever engineered this divine creation (the history of its origination is muddled with folklore and rumors) was absolutely ingenious, and I owe him a hug and a standing ovation.

I don’t care to recount the number of times I’ve ordered a Manhattan in a restaurant or bar and been offered either a horrifically unbalanced combination of well whiskey and bottom of the barrel vermouth, or an offensively sweet, artificially colored and flavored maraschino cherry infused excuse for a cocktail…that would take forever. Instead, I’ll tell you about the two (you read it right – TWO) times when I actually found myself delighted with the contents of my glass.

The first was at a restaurant here in Columbus, Georgia, called Meritage – the only restaurant in this city where the owner Faye knows and values the difference between the traditionally stocked, substandard “vermouth” (I put it in quotes because it really shouldn’t even be labeled and sold as such), and the real deal vermouth. It helps that she has a couple sommelier certifications under her belt. As strange as it may sound to say when referring to a cocktail that is dominated by the presence of whiskey – it is all about the vermouth. You can make the Manhattan correctly in every regard, but with anything other than the best vermouth, the final result simply does not do the cocktail justice. When I first discovered she carried Carpano Antica, I frequented her bar until I was finally able to find my own bottle. Now, I’ve made myself comfortable on the other side of her bar and am thoroughly enjoying myself.

The second time was at an enormous bar right off Battery Park in New York City, called Pier A. I have to say, when I first walked into this place I did not anticipate the giddy warm fuzzies that would overwhelm me upon the first sip. Huge picnic style tables with multiple massive bars stretching down the center of the entire venue, each with a variety of different craft beers on tap, and loud music assaulting my ears from the moment we approached the front doors…I can only imagine this place is slammed full every weekend.

Fortunately for me, it was much quieter the evening that my sister and I decided to visit, so I was able to garner the full attention of several of the bartenders. I’ll go ahead and say it – I’m that girl. It takes a special kinda someone – from Georgia – to walk into a bar in New York City and ask the bartender if they can make a Manhattan. That being said – it should serve as a testament to the sad state of the cocktail universe that the first three bartenders I asked, when prodded for specifics on their vermouth selection, looked at me with a confused haziness in their eyes and asked “what do you mean?”…yeah.

The fourth bartender, hidden away behind the bar furthest from the door, made my entire trip to NYC worthwhile (him, and getting to spend four days with my sister in the Big Apple, of course!). Upon asking the same vermouth question, with specific reference to Carpano Antica, his eyes lit up a little, and his entire personality changed. We carefully selected my whiskey (this place wanted $23 per shot of E.H. Taylor Rye Whiskey….TWENTY-THREE DOLLARS), and then with painstaking attention to detail, he actually free-poured one of the best Manhattans I’ve ever consumed. No spouts, no counts, no jiggers – he just set a pint glass in front of me and poured the whiskey, vermouth and bitters without any method of measurement. And it was perfect. When I tasted it and expressed my admiration, I think he may have actually blushed a bit, and told me how delighted he was to finally serve someone who knew how to order a drink. Well played, Charlie. I tipped him fat and drew a heart on the receipt.

Here’s my all time favorite Manhattan. Please note that the original Manhattan recipe calls for 2.5 ounces of rye, but that I personally prefer just a smidgen less. I know – it’s crazy. Me, prefer less whiskey?

2.25 oz Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch bourbon
1 oz Carpano Antica Formula
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Add ingredients to a stirring vessel or shaker, add ice and gently stir until the outside of your vessel begins to form icy condensation (about 2-3 minutes). Strain into a martini glass, slice off a fat piece of orange peel, and squeeze both sides of the peel together, expelling the oil over the surface of the drink. When you do it right, you’ll know – you’ll see it.

What I love the most about the Manhattan is how much it evolves with every different rye, bourbon, or vermouth you try. It may be the same drink in composition, but every different spirit with which you experiment completely alters the flavor profile of your concoction. Here’s a helpful hint – I like to break down the flavor profile of my whiskeys into three categories: smooth, spicy, and complex. I think that a good Manhattan requires a whiskey and a vermouth that march to the beat of the same drum – in other words, smooth compliments smooth, spicy compliments spicy, etc – but this is not always the case. Here are some combinations that I have tried and thoroughly enjoyed:

Town and Branch Rye with Carpano’s Punt e Mes

George T. Stagg Jr. with Carpano Antica Formula

Colonel E.H. Taylor Rye with equal parts Carpano Antica and Breckenridge Bitters

High West Double Rye with Cocchi Americano

Now it’s your turn. Go explore, and please share your favorites!

–  cheers!