The Manhattan along with the Negroni are my two go to cocktails for personal consumption when the weather turns cold. After I was introduced to Carpano Antica, both were ruined for me for a while. Carpano Antica is a fantastic bitter sweet vermouth, but until recently not many places carried it. That is one of the great changes that has happened in the cocktail revival is good vermouths are penetrating into more and more bars and restaurants across the Country.
There are still plenty of places that use the 1980’s recipe that calls for 8 parts whiskey to 1 part vermouth and no bitters. Ideally, you still have the baseline of the whiskey with the high notes being reached by the vermouth, so the actual ratio and the inclusion of the bitters is dependent upon the vermouth being used. For the aggressively sweet vermouth use less and add bitters, for the more aromatic add more and omit the bitters. The ratio here is specifically for these ingredients.
I would like to take this time to thank the Beverage Tasting Institute of Chicago(BTI). I am disappointed how many bartenders have never heard of the BTI. Before the internet, the BTI was the independent authority on all things alcohol. Their annual guides were created from blind tasting panels without advertisement. In those days if you really wanted to add something to your list you consulted the BTI. They are still around and doing great work but in the world where anyone can post an opinion on any one of a thousand venues, their voice gets lost in the background but if you want professional unbiased opinions check out the BTI. In is because of them, I used so much Seagrams VO. VO was their highest rated rye of all the competitively priced brands, and I always reached for it when it came to my own personal consumption, so out of respect for the BTI, I developed this recipe around Seagrams VO.
Ingredients
2 oz Seagrams VO
3/4 oz Carpano Antica
1 dash of Angostura Bitters
Garnish
Cherry
Glassware
5 oz cocktail glass
Assembly
Chill cocktail glass. Fill Shaker with ice. Measure VO, Antica and add to shaker with a dash of bitters. Stir to combine ingredients. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish.
Suggestions
Another gift the cocktail revival has given us is better bar fruit. I am guilty of using the nuclear colored bar cherries for years in my bars. Shame on me for not knowing there were better alternatives out there but I needed to get educated too. Do yourself a favor and use high quality cherries for your drinks at home and if they do not have them at your bar of choice then do not drink anything that needs them. Look for the Luxardo brand but their are several excellent choices hitting your package store shelves.