The Most Controversial Cocktail: Who Will Win?

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Every so often here at AskMen, two of our resident barkeeps, Josh Krist and Luke O'Neil,will go toe-to-toe with competing versions of the same drink. There's always controversyin the cocktails world about the merits of tradition versus innovation, and Josh and Lukeare no different. That's particularly true when it comes to the only drink that might bemore old-fashioned than the Old-Fashioned -- the Manhattan.Josh Krist, the old-school bartender, upholds tradition

When it comes to Manhattans, there ain’t nothing like the realthing, baby: rye, sweet vermouth and bitters. Why anyone would to strive to improve uponperfection is a plain mystery. Some will say the Manhattan was created duringthe party of a political bigwig (Winston Churchill’s mother, of all people -- wedon’t doubt they could put it away in that family, but historical evidence pointsagainst this supposed party) at the Manhattan Club in, you guessed it, New York City.Others place the birth of the cocktail in the early 1800s, as a favorite ofManhattan’s upper-drinking class.It ain't broke.No matterwhere it started, the rye’s the clue that the roots of the Manhattan stretch intothe dark precocktail history of our fair nation. See, before the Elvis and Don Ho made allthings tropical (read rum and tiki-style drinks in general), and before vodka supplantedgin as American’s clear spirit of choice, George Washington was making his own hoochon his Mount Vernon estate. Thanks to the grain farmers’ swaying fields of rye, ryewhiskey was America’s original party drink.But, we digress. On theManhattan itself, add two parts rye whiskey, one part sweet vermouth, and a dash or two ofAngostura bitters. Stir over ice, pour into a lowball glass (some prefer a prechilledmartini glass, but we find this a bit precious and not in keeping with the manly nature ofthe drink) and garnish with a maraschino cherry.A favorite of mobsters,cocktail connoisseurs and Mad Men-style ad men since their respective professionsbegan, the first sip of a Manhattan is a study of spicy and sweet. TraditionalManhattan2 oz rye1 oz sweetvermouth1 dash Angostura bittersGarnish with a Maraschino cherry and a twist of orangepeelLuke O'Neil, the nonconformist bartender, breaks the rules

Considering its status as one of the most iconic -- if not the most --cocktails ever stirred, you might think that unseating the perfect balance of a Manhattanwould be akin to drawing a moustache on the Mona Lisa. Quite the contrary. It'sprecisely because of its reputation that so many bartenders throughout cocktail historyhave found it the ideal jumping-off point for boozy excursions. It's no longer a finishedproduct, in other words, but rather a series of guidelines to deviate from.
Each of the three aspects of the recipe of rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters isripe for variation. Although the Manhattan has traditionally taken rye as its base,bourbon has elbowed rye aside due to its sweeter profile. Using a Scotch whisky, thecocktail becomes known as a Rob Roy, although the smoke and peaty aspects of many Scotchesdon't lend themselves well to vermouth, in my opinion.But who says you have touse vermouth?Considering its digestif qualities, it's a short jump to other spirits within thatcategory. Subbing in other fortified wines, like a tawny port (in what's called a RubyManhattan), will show a striking difference in their mature, nutty character as comparedto many overly cloying sweet vermouths. Bottom line: If it's a fortified red wine-basedaperitif (and I'm partial to the spiced Dubonnet Rouge or the lightly bitter, drierDolin), it will boost your Manhattan to the next level. You might also try a liqueur likea Cherry Heering to add a deeper, black cherry aspect to the mix, or even ananise-flavored liqueur or absinthe as a rinse for the glass, Sazerac-style.Taking it all the way to the edge of tradition

That's only touching the surface. In the bitter component, the options are similarlybroad. While Manhattans typically take Angostura bitters, feel free to experiment withorange bitters or, for a more floral note, Peychaud's. You might jump up to the amarospirit category as well, trying the sharply bitter Fernet Branca or the bittersweetvegetal Cynar to add additional layers of complexity to your whiskey.That is,if you're even still using whiskey by this point. Opinions will vary on how far afield youcan go before a cocktail ceases to be a Manhattan, but other variations call for a widevariety of bases, like brandy or light or dark rums. The spirit substitution of themoment, however, is the unlikely seeming tequila. In making a tequila Manhattan, you'llwant to use an añejo, one with enough of an aged, woody character to stand out,like Peligroso añejo, which I used, along with Dubonnet Rouge and a touch of limejuice. Doesn't sound like it should work, but it does.TequilaManhattan2 oz añejo tequila1 ozsweet vermouth1/2 oz lime juice Continue Reading

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