If the idea of a Manhattan right now has somehow piqued your interest, you're going to think I'm absolutely insane by the end of this post. My friend Mark and I have been experimenting with a recipe a family friend shared with me for an absolutely stunning gentleman's drink. He called it a "Perfect" Manhattan... but that's not what it is. Well, it sure tastes like a Manhattan, but its freakishly smooth and has a beautiful finish. When I first shared this recipe with Mark (he's been drinking Manhattan's for a while now), he thought I was nuts. When I started mixing one for him, he looked at the ingredients I was pouring into the glass, and then he looked at me like I was nuts. When I finally handed it to him and he took his first sip of it, he furrowed his brow, pursed his lips and glanced at the floor for a moment. Then he looked up at me and said, "Its perfect." The classic Manhattan is the 2 to 1, Rye whisky to sweet vermouth with a dash of bitters and a maraschino cherry. You can strain it into a martini glass or have it on the rocks. Good drink here. A "Perfect Manhattan" as you would order it at a bar, will come to you with 4 parts whisky, 1 part sweet vermouth and one part dry vermouth... bitters, cherry... rocks or neat. Another nice drink. Here's how I make a "Manhattan"... I use Jack Daniels, 2 parts with 1 part dry vermouth (crazy right?). And then a splash of Southern Comfort... and a cherry. No bitters. Try one of these and you too will furrow your brow, perhaps wondering if you've just exchanged your soul for a Manhattan that the devil must have used his dark magicks to create. Don't worry. Your soul is safe. There is still one improvement I hope to make soon. I can't seem to find them in town, but I'm dying to try a couple of dark, rich Luxardo Gourmet maraschino cherries in one of these. From what I've heard, they will ruin you for the neon day-glo variety of maraschinos for good. So, come on you Manhattan lovers! Belly up to the bar and ask the barkeep to shake up this bizarre patchwork of booze that might pass for just about anything except a Manhattan... until you taste it... Let me know what you think!
I'll have to try this at some point. I love a good Rye. It may seem boring, but I normally just have it neat in a rocks glass. Every so often, I liven it up with an ice cube.
Ok. Mark and I did some more grueling field tests yesterday. In fact, we field tested till Mark couldn't hold himself up... twice... (he knocked over a chair and then a plant with his stumbling, off-balance self)... Anyway, you absolutely MUST cut the whiskey with at least 1/2 sweet and 1/2 dry vermouth. Otherwise, it will come out still sharp and dry with a nice smooth finish because of the SoCo, but use some sweet vermouth. The recipe in the original post isn't what we were looking for.
