Recently I've found myself getting into Manhattans and similar cocktails, so I thought it would be a good topic for a quick blog post.
It all began with a bottle of Sazerac. ACC procured a bottle for me and one for himself, and proceeded to make some Perfect Manhattans which, as he told me, wasn't him being boastful but is the actual name of a type of Manhattan where the vermouth is split between sweet and dry. It was delicious and before I knew it, I'd acquired something of a habit.
When I was getting into bourbon a few years ago, I remember trying Bulleit rye and finding it a little disappointing. I think I understand rye better now - it plays very nicely with other ingredients, better than bourbon does, and something about the combination with red vermouth releases all sorts of interesting fruitiness and particularly reminds me of cherries.
Here we have an example of the genre, served in one of the beautiful Baccarat whiskey glasses which T gave me and D - thanks very much T! I'll try not to break them before I move to the States...
Naturally I began researching ryes to find out which ones are considered the best for a Manhattan and the verdict seemed to be that Whistlepig is pretty good. I found a dodgy online retailer selling Whistlepig 10 year old for more or less the same price as it is over the pond, which always makes me happy. A solid back up option is Rittenhouse (from Pennsylvania!) but that's irritatingly around twice the price here as it is over there. It's very good value in the US and I brought a bottle back with me last time. Sazerac is also great but seems to be quite difficult to find both over here and in the US last time I looked.
To be honest I'm less choosy about my red vermouth. I forked out for some Carpano Antica Formula, which is quite pricey, and am not convinced it was worth it. Martini Rosso or Lustau's red vermouth are fine by me and easily available in the supermarket.
Going deeper down the rabbit hole, I discovered that there are a number of variations on a Manhattan, named after different areas of New York. A Brooklyn includes some Luxardo maraschino cherry liqueur, an ingredient of which I was previously unaware, and this is a very successful combination.
Finally, when in the mood for something slightly different, I've been channelling my inner 1920s flapper girl and enjoying a Gin and It, which is basically a negroni without the Campari. This has the advantage that if one keeps one's gin in the freezer, there's no need to faff about with the cocktail shaker and ice cubes - you just pour a bit of red vermouth into the martini glass, top up with gin (bearing in mind that martini glasses can be deceptive in terms of volume) and add a couple of dashes of Angostura. I've been using Sipsmith for this which works well. Looking forward to having one later this evening!
