
MANHATTAN
Like the city it derives its name from, this drink is one of the
great classics.
I'LL TAKE A MANHATTAN...
HISTORY
Samuel J. Tilden was elected
Governor of New York in 1874, and to celebrate, socialite Jenny
Jerome threw a party at the Manhattan Club in New York City.
Jerome asked the bartender
to create a drink for the occasion. The bartender mixed 1 1/2 ounces
bourbon, 1 1/4 ounces each of sweet and dry
vermouth, and a dash of
bitters. It met with Jerome’s approval and she named the drink
the "Manhattan," after the club.
Jenny Jerome later earned
her place in history as she later became Lady Randolph Churchill,
mother of Sir Winston Churchill, one of England's most famous Prime
Ministers.
The Manhattan became a
classic cocktail that has survived a number of changes over the
years and is presently enjoying a comeback alongside its cousin,
the Martini.
TIPS ON MAKING A MANHATTAN:
Don’t be shy with
the ice and make sure you shake the ingredients for at least 20
to 30 seconds. There is no shaken vs. stirred debate with a Manhattan
-- always shake.
Serve your Manhattan in a Martini/cocktail glass. You can also try
an old-fashioned or lowball glass (some even prefer Manhattans on
the rocks).
STRAIGHT RYE vs. BOURBON vs. CANADIAN WHISKY
Most casual fans of the
Manhattan will tell you that a Manhattan is a rye- or bourbon-based
drink. Most would also be using the term rye to describe the many
types of Canadian blended whisky. In fact, the original Manhattan
was made with straight rye whisky.
Over time, many recipes
that originally called for rye whisky (Manhattan, Boilermakers,
Old Fashioneds) changed to Canadian whisky, as rye whisky largely
disappeared during prohibition. Canadian whisky emerged as a favorite
during prohibition, primarily as a result of its being smuggled
into the U.S., but also due to the fact that when prohibition was
repealed, Canadian distillers had product ready for U.S. consumers,
while American distillers had to start the time-consuming distilling
process from scratch.
Over time, the term "rye"
became synonymous with Canadian whisky and as a result the Manhattan
is often made with that spirit. Purists, however, search out straight
rye whiskey, which does still exist (though it can be hard to find
in some markets).
Many Manhattan lovers
prefer bourbon in place of rye whisky. Bourbon shares many of the
characteristics of rye whisky and is made the same way, with most
of the same ingredients. Bourbon tends to taste a little sweeter,
rye a little bitter. All three options give a Manhattan its own
distinct taste and characteristics. Try all three (maybe not at
the same time) and decide if the slightly sweeter bourbon, the bitter
straight rye whisky, or the more subtle Canadian whisky makes your
favorite Manhattan.
VERMOUTH, BITTERS AND THEIR PROPORTIONS
Now that you have a base
for your drink, you need to decide which vermouth to use and how
much.
Unlike the Martini, the
Manhattan should not be made as dry as possible. Some Martini makers
swear by just a drop or two of vermouth, but in the case of the
Manhattan, vermouth is critical to giving the drink its strong and
unique taste.
As a rule, Manhattans are usually made with the vermouth being one-third
of the amount of whisky used (for example, 1 ½ oz of rye
or bourbon to ½ oz of vermouth).
Vermouth is available in both sweet and dry versions, which gives
the Manhattan maker three choices: Use sweet vermouth and you have
a sweet Manhattan. Use dry vermouth and naturally you have a dry
Manhattan. But add your vermouth in equal parts dry and sweet, and
you have the Perfect Manhattan.
The other key ingredient
is bitters. A dash of Angostura or orange bitters is key to the
unique taste of a Manhattan. We suggest a dash or two, but like
everything drink-related, experiment to find the perfect amount
for your taste.
the GARNISH
MARASCHINO CHERRY:
The final touch is the garnish. Unlike a lot of other drinks, the
Manhattan is best suited to only one garnish -- the maraschino cherry.
If you find the Manhattan a little too sharp/bitter you can add
a touch of the maraschino cherry juice to the mix.
Maraschino cherries, the
kind most often used in drinks and on ice cream sundaes, are made
from sweet cherries. The maraschino cherry originated in Yugoslavia
and northern Italy, where merchants added a liqueur to a local cherry
called the "Marasca." This cherry product was imported
to the U.S. in the 1890s as a delicacy to be used in the country's
finest restaurants and hotels. In 1896, U.S. cherry processors began
experimenting, using a domestic sweet cherry called the Royal Anne.
Less liqueur was used in processing and almond oil was substituted
for some of the liqueur. Finally, the liqueur was eliminated altogether.
By 1920, the American maraschino cherry was so popular that it had
replaced the foreign variety in the United States.
(Source: Cherry Marketing Institute)
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