The Perfect Manhattan is always my drink of choice! Rye whiskey, Vermouth, a dash or two of bitters, and the ever important cherry or orange rind. It’s the perfect drink and the best end to a day!
I swear I’m not an 80 year old man….but I sure do LOVE a Manhattan! I was introduced to Manhattans many years ago when I was sure I couldn’t drink dark liquor (may have had a bad experience back in college with bourbon). These days, if my friends had to order a drink for me, they would all know to order me a Manhattan on the rocks (one big rock if available).
The Manhattan is thought to have originated in the 1870’s in the Manhattan Club in…where else….New York. Although the classic Manhattan used rye whiskey, one type of vermouth, a dash of Angostura bitters, and a cherry, there are now many variations of the cocktail.
The Perfect Manhattan uses equal part of both sweet and dry vermouth. I love the addition of the dry vermouth and find that it doesn’t taste as sweet to me when I use both.
Some preferences of mine when making the Perfect Manhattan:
- Large square or round ice cubes. We use a square ice mold like this one from Amazon.
- Rye whiskey – I like Bulleit Rye for mine. You can use regular bourbon as well but I prefer the taste of the rye.
- Good cherries! This is the perfect time to splurge and use some “fancy” cherries. We like these Luxardo Cherries.
