Manhattan

The Manhattan must be one of the simplest cocktails of all times, and one of the very best.  I discovered it at the insistence of my sister-in-law, Paula, and I thank her for that.  Two ounces of whiskey, one ounce of Italian Sweet Vermouth, and a couple of splashes of Angostura Bitters, garnished with a cocktail cherry - how easy is that?  It's a cocktail that needs no recipe, and even grandpas like me can remember how to make one.

But it may also be one of the most flexible cocktails ever.  First you get to pick the whiskey.  Kathy and I like to use Rye, but Bourbon makes a great Manhattan, too.  I understand that some people even use brandy instead of whiskey, but I'll not be trying that any time soon. 

The Manhattan I just made for this picture used a rather overpriced brand of Rye in a too fancy bottle, called (ri)1, which is made by Jim Beam.  I have to tell you that it is good, but not good enough to justify the price, which I am embarrassed to have paid.  Old Overholt, a cheap brand and a standard in New Orleans, makes a good one, and I have read that Sazarac and Rittenhouse brands are excellent at a fair price. Perhaps there will be further experimentation at a later date.

Then there is the vermouth.  Brother John suggested a tiny little splash of dry vermouth with the sweet vermouth, and I think that does a lot for the drink.  And you can choose to use French vermouth instead of Italian, as I did for the one in the picture, and I can attest to how good that can be. 

There are a lot of variations that have official names, and they undoubtedly are good, but I suggest you experiment, and don't be swayed from what you like by cocktail snobs that want to tell you that you are not making a Manhattan correctly.