Manhattan

What the Martini is to gin, the Manhattan is to whiskey. Traditionally this cocktail is made with rye whiskey or bourbon, and often Canadian whisky though traditionalists will choose one of the first two options. Angostura adds spice and takes off the sweet edge of vermouth.

The best lead we have on the true birth of the Manhattan is from a story written by William F. Mulhall, a bartender who plied his trade at New York's famed Hoffman House for more than 30 years, starting in the early 1880s. "The Manhattan cocktail was invented by a man named Black, who kept a place ten doors below Houston Street on Broadway in the [eighteen-] sixties—probably the most famous drink in the world in its time," Mulhall wrote. Even though Mulhall's account comes decades after the drink appeared on the scene, we do know that the man was a bona fide bartender.

One of the finest and oldest cocktails. The Manhattan was the first cocktail that used vermouth as a modifier. Before that, vermouth was drunk mainly as an apèritif. Vermouth is a fortified wine made with herbs and other botanicals.

Other drinks created around this time that use vermouth are the Martinez, Martini, and the Rob Roy.

The Proper Way to Make a Manhattan:

1. A whiskey (rye and bourbon are traditional) in the 90- to 110-proof range makes a better manhattan than an 80- or 86-proof one. The vermouth should be the sweet red kind. Martini and Rossi best with rye. Cinzano with bourbon. The bitters should be Angostura.

Substitutes for vermouth: Dubonnet or Lillet. Wine-based aperitifs and the like can work fine but must be approved on a case-by-case basis. Ruby port is nice. So are Italian amari. Madeiras and the sweeter sherries (not a fino, Manzanilla, or amontillado). NOTE: You occasionally see a "perfect manhattan" on a cocktail menu. In drink-making, "perfect" always refers to the addition of equal parts sweet and dry vermouth. I can't recommend it. I find that dry vermouth clashes with the whiskey and makes an awkward drink; you may disagree.

2. Glass should be chilled.

3. Pour a measured 2 oz whiskey and 1 oz vermouth into a standard pint glass. If you're using a conical jigger to do the measuring, make sure to fill it all the way to surface tension. Add 2 or 3 dashes bitters — and by dashes we mean good, vigorous squirts, not drops. If the bottle is very full, the squirts should be smaller and you'll need 5 or 6.

4. To get a stirred drink (see step five) truly cold, you've got to break up your ice cubes to increase the surface area in contact with the liquid. Put an ice cube in the (clean) palm of your left hand. Grasp a barspoon by the very end of the handle and snap the bowl against the cube, almost as if you were swinging a golf club. Repeat 4 or 5 times, and then crack and add a few more cubes.

5. Shaking makes it just as cold, but the drink ends up cloudy and topped with an algaelike layer of foam. Stirring leaves the drink clear and homogenous to the eye and, more importantly, silky and almost oily on the tongue. The goal is to make the ice revolve smoothly without circling your forearm as if you were mixing cake batter or thrashing the spoon around the ice like a swimmer fighting off a shark attack. Your wrist and fingers are the only things that should move. Fifty revolutions at a minimum. If you pour the ingredients for a manhattan over ice, you do not then have a manhattan. You have something else. It's tasty, but it's not a manhattan.

6. Strain the drink into your chilled glass.

7. The standard maraschino cherry has been a part of the drink since at least 1891. The lemon twist was probably there for another decade before that. In other words, use whichever you like. We prefer the twist because of the fragrant and appetizing slick of lemon oil it leaves on the surface of the drink. With a knife (old-school) or vegetable peeler, cut a 1 1/2-inch-by-1/2-inch swatch of peel, avoiding the white pith. Hold it skin-down between thumb and index finger over the drink and snap it in half lengthwise. Drop it in or discard.

Sweet Manhattan (traditional version)

2 ounces Rye whiskey or Bourbon
1 ounce Sweet vermouth
Bar spoon of syrup from Maraschino cherry jar (Maraschino cherry liquer)
3 Dashes Angostura or Peychaud’s Bitters
Maraschino cherry for garnish

Pour the whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until outside of shaker is very cold to touch.* Place a maraschino cherry in each of two chilled cocktail glasses. Dividing evenly, strain the contents of the shaker over cherries and serve immediately.

*Water is added to a drink from the ice that is used to mix it with. The role of the water in any cocktail is to calm down the flavors all around and to reduce the "burn" of the alcohol. This is extremely important for creating a cocktail that is smooth and relaxing.

A Dry Manhattan is made with dry vermouth instead of sweet vermouth and served with a twist of orange instead of a cherry

A Perfect Manhattan is made with equal parts sweet and dry vermouth (1/2 ounce each) and served with a twist of orange and Maraschino cherry for garnish.