Of course if Manhattan inspired a cocktail, the other New York boroughs were not going to be left out. Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens, all have their own cocktails. I cannot find a reference to a Staten Island Cocktail but I am sure that there must have been one at one time. Everyone knows Long Island’s contribution to the cocktail world.
Here I found lots of controversy. I am no cocktail historian, but my 1947 Trader Vic’s says the Brooklyn is Gin based where 1970 Mr. Boston doesn’t list it at all. Eeek, can you say, “cocktail dark ages?” In Trader Vic’s defense, the Queens and Bronx cocktails are both gin based. But there are several Brooklyn neighborhoods that all are have their own cocktails and they are all bourbon or rye in fact the only difference is the vermouth used in each. Sorry Trader Vic, some digging into some other tomes leads me to believe that this is Rye based drink based on the perfect Manhattan with maraschino. Now a regular Manhattan is Rye and sweet vermouth, the perfect Manhattan is Rye with a combination of dry and sweet vermouth.
Ingredients
2 oz Rye
1/4 oz Amer Picon (This particular sweet vermouth is mentioned in several guides of the time period.)
1/4 oz Dry Vermouth (look for Contratto)
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
1 dash of Angostura Bitters
Garnish
There is no clear consensus so with the flavors I think an orange twist works best
Glassware
5 oz cocktail glass
Assembly
Chill cocktail glass. Fill Shaker with ice. Measure Rye, both vermouth, maraschino and add to shaker with a dash of bitters. Stir to combine ingredients. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish by running the orange twist around the mouth of the glass and then squeeze the orange oil out of the twist over a match.
Suggestions
If you are in a bar or want to experiment with a lot of vermouth, there are several neighborhood variations of the Brooklyn and its Amer Picon Vermouth.. If you substitute Punt e Mes French Vermouth, you have a Red Hook cocktail. The Greenpoint neighborhood uses Chartreuse. Now Chartreuse comes in both green and yellow but the GREENpoint uses the yellow. The Bensonhurst cocktail includes the artichoke flavored Cynar, and the Bushwick cocktail calls for by name Carpano Antica vermouth in addition to the Amer Picon Vermouth and maraschino liqueur.