25th
a manhattan … to the nines
In the past nine months or so I have become quite the fan of Manhattans. Tonic on Fourth has been my local watering hole which serves them correctly, up, in traditional proportions of:
2 parts whiskey
1 part sweet vermouth
2 dashes angostura bitters
maraschino cherry
The key ingredient that is often overlooked here is the vermouth - good vermouth makes a good Manhattan, while the inexpensive vermouth that has been left open in in your local bar’s well for the past year simply won’t. Vermouth is a fortified wine, but nonetheless a wine that will go bad in a few weeks even while refrigerated. A word of advice, don’t order a drink with a measure of vermouth unless its an establishment that goes through “sufficient” quantities to have a fresh, rotating stock!
Any decent ~$10 vermouth will do, but if you want to live it up, I suggest Carpano Antica Formula which will change the way you think about vermouth. This flavorful wine is so palatable that it sips well over rocks - and makes a formidable Manhattan. Tonic on Fourth uses this variety as their base, so rest assured the cocktails will drink accordingly. I’ve been contemplating buying a bottle for quite some time (the only negative has been that I’m unsure I will use up all 33oz before it oxidizes - but oh well) so I broke down and bought a bottle - which will run you a “mere” $29. While this may seem like a lot, this simply is probably the best vermouth out there, so when you put it in perspective of prices of other spirits/wines, its actually quite reasonable. Compounded by the fact that you’re probably not going to go through a whole bottle in an evening yourself, or even with 6 friends unless you are all very ambitious.
Using my new bottle of Carpano as my springboard, I decided to go overboard and use some of my favorite bourbons - Buffalo Trace’s George T. Stagg. I added Angostura as traditional. To go the extra mile I decided to purchase some Luxardo Original Maraschino Cherries. These are authentic Maraschino cherries that have been aged in Maraschino liquor and are a unlike their neon-red cousins.Here’s a lineup of the ingredients:
I combined classic proportions in a mixing glass, fill with cubed ice, and stirred with a bar-spoon. (For those that argue the classic is too heavy on the vermouth, I suggest deferring your opinion until after the first sip. With the Stagg’s prowess, I posit you’ll like what you taste.) Julep-strained, up, with a garnish of two Luxardo cherries resulted in quite literally, the best Manhattan I’ve ever had and probably will ever have:
