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Manhattan Index

Manhattan is my drink of choice, and I like to see how different places prepare this beverage. Last night at Brasserie by LM, I ordered a French Manhattan.



This was a good concept. Substituting Chambord (raspberry liquor) for vermouth works. I would have gone a little lighter on the Chambord (which is sweeter than vermouth) and a little heavier on the bourbon (Maker’s, the default bourbon for most Chicagoland Manhattans), but overall I think this was a worthy “take” on a classic.

An interesting and enduring question for me is, How far can you modify the recipe for a thing before that thing becomes another thing? With a Manhattan, it seems that you need, at a minimum, bourbon or rye and bitters. That leaves room for flexibility with the third element, and at various places I’ve seen the place of vermouth taken by Luxardo (not bad) or maraschino cherry juice poured out of the jar (an abomination).

I order a Manhattan almost every time I go out to eat, so I thought it might be helpful to collect a listing of how different places prepare what is to my mind the perfect pre-dinner cocktail (combining bitter, sweet, and sometimes sour flavors).

I intend to keep adding to this list, and I hope you join in.

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“We all have to stand before the kitchen gods.” Chef Jacob Sahaya Kumar Aruni

It didnt do much for me but perhaps to others' palates it would hit the spot.

Use Tuaca in place of vermouth and a light dose of Peychauds bitters for an "Urban Bourbon."

The Tuaca adds a nutty element - not something I want in the flavor profile of my Manhattan, but a variation on the theme.

Davooda

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Life is a garden, Dude - DIG IT!
-- anonymous Colorado snowboarder whizzing past me March 2010

My Manhattan is basically rye kissed with sweet vermouth and a hearty dash of bitters, stirred with ice, given one vigorous shake, and then strained over ice in a rocks glass.

I prefer the bite of the rye to remain the focal point. The bitters and vermouth add complexity and smooth things out a bit, but I'm in it for the heat of the whiskey.

Old Overholt preferred. A fifth is something like 15 bucks in NYC. Ridiculous value.

Shit, my Manhattan is so good it should really be called a Chicago.

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"By the fig, the olive..." Surat Al-Teen, Mecca 95:1"

They make a good girlie-drink Manhattan variation at Proof on Main in Louisville, called the Darkened Manhattan:

1.5 oz bourbon (they use Woodford)
1 oz. Carpano Antica
1 oz. Kahlua

Basically a drink as dessert.

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I like to keep mine simple: 2oz rye (generally Old Overholdt if I want a little bite, Russell's if I'm in the mood for a smooth drink), 0.5oz dry vermouth, 0.5oz sweet vermouth, dash of Angostura bitters, stir thoroughly with ice, strain & serve up.

If the mood strikes, I might sub the Ango with 5-6 drops of Bittercube Cherry Bark Vanilla bitters, or express some orange oil over the top of the finished drink.

This thread is making my mouth water.

The Manhattan is also my drink of choice and when eating out but mostly stay traditional and avoid menu listed variations. I just make sure they use bitters and some whiskey other than Makers. I blame Lettuce for the proliferation of what, as David says, is the Chicagoland default Manhattan bourbon where it should at least be that other well stocked Beam product, Knob Creek, with its distinct yeast taste, peanut notes and enough rye to bring excellent complexity. So in the spirit of adding to this thread I will become more daring and let them do it their way and see if I can add to the index .

If I ordered a Manhattan and received any of the drinks described above, I would not be happy. Habibi comes closest to what I expect when I order this classic, but for that solitary "vigorous shake"...no bubbles in my whiskey, please. However, if I'd ordered a Perfect Manhattan, Khaopaat's offering would suit me just fine.

If you want to put your spin on something, and you think the result is worth replicating in the future, give it a name of its own. Once you start substituting, you've got a different drink. Bourbon doesn't go in a Manhattan, so what's the point of calling it one? It's equally not a Boulevardier riff that swaps the bitters (potable Campari vs. non-potable Angostura), nor an up, bourbon Old-Fashioned with sweet vermouth in lieu or simple...

I had a Manhattan at the House of Shields in San Francisco earlier this week and it was probably one of the best cocktails I've ever had. It was a non-fancified version (bourbon, vermouth, bitters...poured over ice, stirred, and strained into a glass) and it was magnificent.

2 of them completely kicked my ass.

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-Josh

An amuse bouche at breakfast is called a Bloody Mary - Scott Manlin