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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/43865
CHEERS SPIRITS TASTING By Tony Abou-Ganim Th e Manhattan… And some regional variations! urbane and simple. Th e drink was supposedly invented at the Manhattan Club in New York City in the early 1870s. It was said to have been created for a banquet hosted by Lady Randolph Churchill. However cocktail writer David Wondrich was quick to question this theory, "Lady Randolph was in England giving birth to Winston Churchill. In fact the banquet was held on the day Winston was christened." Th e original "Manhattan" was most likely a mix of "American rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters." Regardless of who fi rst mixed this iconic tipple, it has gone T on to be one of the great classics of all time. It has also been one of the most tampered with of all cocktails. Th e basic spirit base has also been continuously changed up, so here we debate rye versus Bourbon, although I would say today most would agree the Manhattan began its life as a rye whiskey cocktail, there exist regional preferences from one area of the country to another. If one spends enough time behind a multitude of bars in various parts of the country, one has most likely heard requests for all of the following and perhaps even more. I have made Manhattans with Angostura bitters, Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth and each of the following base spirits. Th e recipe I fi nd works best for me is: 2 oz. base spirit (either rye, Bourbon, Tennessee whiskey, Southern Comfort, Canadian whiskey or brandy) 1 oz. Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth (or another brand you prefer) 2 dashes Angostura bitters In an ice-fi lled mixing glass, add the base spirit, Carpano, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters; stir until very cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a twist of lemon or brandied cherries. Bourbon: I used Maker's Mark, a wheated Bourbon with caramel notes, with a sweetness and nice acidity which balanced nicely with the vermouth. Th e Antica Formula somewhat drives the ship but the bitters help round out the drink. Rye: I featured Wild Turkey 101 here with its bold, robust and spicy character which worked beautifully with the rich prune and raisin notes of the Antica. Th is, coupled with just the slightest note of bitterness from the Angostura, proved to be a beautiful marriage. Brandy: Hennessy VS highlights fruit notes of pear and apple coupled with sweet vanilla, oak and butterscotch. Th e Cognac supports and compliments the vermouth nicely; 46 | OCTOBER 2011 although it became a little more about the Antica than the brandy but it still has beautiful synergy and seemed to benefi t from an extra dash of Angostura. Tennessee Whiskey: Jack Daniel's Green Label is a smoky whiskey with a sweetness that did not stand up well to the powerful Antica. It was very interesting to see how the whiskey's smokiness played with the vermouth and bitters. Canadian: Canadian Club is a light-bodied, approachable blended whisky which actually balanced nicely with the Antica. Th e whisky cut the richness of the vermouth and provided nice structure and acidity. Southern Comfort: Southern Comfort is a rich, full-bodied whiskey based liqueur with notes of peach and candied orange which mingles nicely with the vermouth but proves to be a little sweet and very rich. Tony Abou-Ganim is the founder of Las Vegas-based The Modern Mixologist and author of the newly released book The Modern Mixologist-Contemporary Classic Cocktails. He serves as the director of judging for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and created the mixology program for the Bellagio Hotel when it opened. www.cheersonline.com he Manhattan is one of six basic drinks listed in David A. Embury's classic Th e Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. It has been called a drinking man's cocktail—strong,