Classic Cocktails: The Manhattan

by Michael Frank

   Hi, my name is Michael and I'm one of the wine and liquor folks here at Hi-Time Wine Cellars. I've been in the inebriation business for a while now and over the years I've had the opportunity to build more cocktails than I care to remember. Working in the liquor department, one of the common questions I get is how to build classic cocktails. Over the coming weeks and months, or until I run out of recipes, I'll be writing these short articles. My aim is to give you an overview of how to make some of those old bar favorites as well as a short history, context and some variations.

   First on my list is the Manhattan. This is one of my personal favorites and a staple of American mixology; it's a booze-driven concoction that's aromatic, complex and has the opportunity for huge depth of character. First appearing somewhere in the early 1860s to early 1900s, the most common history is that it originated as a signature drink at the Manhattan Club in 1874 for a party hosted by Winston Churchill's mom. This probably isn’t accurate because there is little evidence to show this gathering ever took place. Also, she was in Europe giving birth at the time. Other accounts range from it being invented by some guy named Black on Broadway to a wild southerner trying to make a group of Italian guys mad by dumping whiskey in their vermouth.

   No matter how it came about, it's a bonafide classic cocktail and it's here to stay. The original approach calls for American rye whiskey, Italian vermouth, aromatic bitters and sugar stirred on ice and strained into a coupe glass. In 1920, rye whiskey became scarce due to prohibition so bartenders started using any whiskey they could get their hands on. Then at some point in the the mid-1900s maraschino cherries and orange peels got added to the mix.

   For my recipe I keep it easy and relatively traditional. You will need the following:

For bar tools...

Jigger

Stirring Glass

Bar Spoon

Ice tray

Hawthorn strainer

Peeler

Coupe glass

For consumables...

WildTurkey Rye 101

VervinoVermouth #4

Angostura Bitters

Maraschino Cherries

Beautiful Orange

Cubed Ice

Step 1

   Take your mixing glass and add your bitters to the bottom of the the glass. About three or four dashes will do. The idea is to coat the base of the glass before we start building in everything else.
   I use Angostura because it's my favorite and one of the most recognizable flavor profiles as far as bitters go. If you're feeling adventurous you might want to try out some Angostura orange bitters.

   You'll notice that I'm not using any sugar for my recipe. This is my personal preference as a bartender. I started building them this way when I was bartending in Vietnam because I had a hard time acquiring consistent quality sugar for our bar. Ultimately the consensus of my patrons was that they prefered it without and I've been building them like this ever since.

Step 2

   Take your jigger and add 1 oz. of Sweet vermouth to the mixing glass.

   Without vermouth, all you have is whiskey with some stuff in it. If your whiskey was a singer the vermouth would be the band. Good on their own, but really only shines when accompanied by a great band. That's why I choose to use Vervino Vermouth #4 for my recipe. Huge summertime East Coast botanicals and a touch of natural honey. This vermouth producer is one of my little bartending tricks, it will really bring any cocktail to a new level.

   Traditionally and in this recipe sweet vermouth is used. If you like things a bit more dry you can always substitute in a dry vermouth to turn your drink into a Dry Manhattan. I'd recommend Vervino Vermouth #5.

Step 3

   Take your jigger and add 2 oz. of rye whiskey to the mixing glass.

   You now have a star-studded band warming up. Now, all you need is the lead singer. Whiskey is going to be that lead singer. For this recipe I use Wild Turkey Rye 101. Some may question my choice of rye, with the amount of newer whiskies in the market, but this is one of the best darn rye whiskeys out there and I'm going to stand by it.

   If you don't like rye whiskey or you're just looking to experiment, you could try some Rock Hill Farms bourbon, or maybe some Corsair Mosaic. If you really want to be wild put some Camus XO cognac in there. Although, it wouldn't really be a true Manhattan at that point, it would still be a valid variation of one. Experiment and have fun.

Step 4

   Top off the mixing glass with ice.

   When putting the ice in, make sure you do it delicately so you don't splash. This is one of those times that a bar spoon comes in really handy. Use it to guide the ice in. Take it slow at this step. I know you're excited, we're almost there, I promise.

   The real key here is to make sure your ice cubes are big enough so you don't have too much surface contact with the booze, thus making a watery cocktail. I really like these cool rubber ice trays we sell. they're just the right size and the rubber makes them really easy to use.

Step 5

   Take your bar spoon and stir everything in a gentle continuous motion for about 40 seconds.

   Whatever you do don't shake it. It will bruise the drink, make it watery and also add a weird frothiness to it. Be careful not to overstir, as it will render similar poor results.

Step 6

   Place your hawthorne strainer over the top of the mixing glass. hold it in place with your index finger and gently pour the contents into a coupe glass. You don't want any ice to escape at this point.

Step 7

   Place a maraschino cherry at the bottom of the coupe glass using your bar spoon to gently guide it into place.

Step 8

   Take that beautiful orange, the orange peeler and peel off a good slice of skin directly over the cocktail. Rim the glass with the peel and then gently place it in the center of the glass.

   You'll want hover about one inch over the drink when you do the peeling. The oils from the orange skin are just as important as any other ingredient so handle this step with care.

Step 9

   Enjoy!

   That's it, you're done. I hope you enjoy my recipe or whatever version of it you end up making. When building cocktails, always keep in mind that however you like it is the right way to make it. The only bad drink is the one you don't like. Whatever you do, don't ever let some mixologist snob tell you something is wrong. Want to add some Gran Marnier to your Manhattan? Go for it, have fun, explore and discover.

   If you do discover any fun variations, I'd love to hear them. Or if you have any questions I'm always happy to help. Feel free to call me or better yet stop in the store to say hello. I'm here Friday through Tuesday, afternoons and evening.

   May your cocktail adventures be glorious!