What is your recipe for the Perfect Manhattan?

[Fodowsky]

Here's mine...

2.5 oz Whistlepig Rye
1 oz Carpano Antica
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 dash Fee Brothers Cherry bitters
2 Tillen Farms cherries

Place all but the cherries in a mixing glass, add lots of large ice, stir for at least 30 seconds, strain into a cold coup glass and add the cherries.

Sometimes I'll add a little pure maple syrup and some Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters to the recipe above. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

[sailor22]

Always used to use VWFRR for my Manhattans (and it makes a great one) but for obvious reasons have had to find another go to. The current favorite combo at chez sailor is Bookers and Dolin. Only one or two drops of bitters, and some nights none at all. After a half hour in the cocktail the cheap cherries from the supermarket are a pretty tasty finish.
Bookers 2.5
Sweet Vermouth 1
two drops of bitters
cheap cherry

shaken over ice cubes and poured into a chilled manhattan glass.

[Barclay Beach]

Here's mine...

2.5 oz Whistlepig Rye
1 oz Carpano Antica
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 dash Fee Brothers Cherry bitters
2 Tillen Farms cherries

Place all but the cherries in a mixing glass, add lots of large ice, stir for at least 30 seconds, strain into a cold coup glass and add the cherries.

Sometimes I'll add a little pure maple syrup and some Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters to the recipe above. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

Tillen makes a good cherry. I get em for about $5, which is substantially cheaper than Luxardos.

When do you add the maple syrup? My brother just brought me some good stuff from up in Montreal.

[Fodowsky]

Tillen makes a good cherry. I get em for about $5, which is substantially cheaper than Luxardos.

When do you add the maple syrup? My brother just brought me some good stuff from up in Montreal.

That's about what I pay for the Tillen cherries. I actually prefer them to Luxardos.

I add the maple after the rye and then swirl it all in the mixing glass and then add the ice. I've also shaken it, but prefer the stirred version.

[Alden]

Always used to use VWFRR for my Manhattans (and it makes a great one) but for obvious reasons have had to find another go to. The current favorite combo at chez sailor is Bookers and Dolin. Only one or two drops of bitters, and some nights none at all. After a half hour in the cocktail the cheap cherries from the supermarket are a pretty tasty finish.
Bookers 2.5
Sweet Vermouth 1
two drops of bitters
cheap cherry

shaken over ice cubes and poured into a chilled manhattan glass.

A half hour? How do you take a half hour to drink one Manhattan? It takes me about 15 minutes. Maybe I drink too fast?

[Smokewagon]

I prefer a 3-1 on Rye-Vermouth, I also prefer a sweeter vermouth. In addition I am a big heavy handed with the bitters. I will also do an Angostura/Fee Bro's Cherry for bitters. Not a fan of Marachino cherries I prefer home-made or just about anything else that isn't so artificial. Most decent liquor stores will at least carry Luxardo, one that I frequent sells 3 or 4 different brands of decent cocktail cherries.

The grocery store cherries damn near glow in the dark which Kind of gives me the willies.

~SW

[Smokewagon]

Sometimes I'll add a little pure maple syrup and some Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters to the recipe above. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

I've done something similar using a "strong" simple syrup using Turbinado sugar (2 cups sugar & 1 cup water), and the fee brothers whisky bitters. I was attempting to introduce non bourbon drinkers to bourbon cocktails, and it went over well. The other cocktail I used was an Old Fashioned using the same Turbanado syrup, and orange bitters with an orange twist. Both went over like gang busters.

Most of these folks associated bourbon with whatever cheap bottle of rotgut someone told them to drink half/all at once while at some college party 15 years ago, so most were pleasantly surprised.

[Fodowsky]

I've done something similar using a "strong" simple syrup using Turbinado sugar (2 cups sugar & 1 cup water), and the fee brothers whisky bitters. I was attempting to introduce non bourbon drinkers to bourbon cocktails, and it went over well. The other cocktail I used was an Old Fashioned using the same Turbanado syrup, and orange bitters with an orange twist. Both went over like gang busters.

Most of these folks associated bourbon with whatever cheap bottle of rotgut someone told them to drink half/all at once while at some college party 15 years ago, so most were pleasantly surprised.

We're definitely cut from the same cloth! I use Turbinado or Demerara sugar in my Old Fashioned and build it with fresh muddled Cara Cara orange and Angostura and Whiskey bitters. Sometimes, I'll add a sprig of fresh mint to finish it off. This recipe has converted many to the joys of bourbon and rye. It's our job to do our part

[Barclay Beach]

That's about what I pay for the Tillen cherries. I actually prefer them to Luxardos.

I add the maple after the rye and then swirl it all in the mixing glass and then add the ice. I've also shaken it, but prefer the stirred version.

Made a round with the maple to outstanding results. Perfectly integrated. Nice variation.

[Kalessin]

I stumbled onto adding (real) maple syrup to my manhattans sometime last winter. I'm glad to find I'm not the only one!

My usual recipe:

Over ice cubes:
Rittenhouse BiB or Baby Saz -- 2.75 oz (I miss the WT101 rye!)
Cocchi sweet vermouth -- 1oz (this is the best vermouth I've ever found... it's a treat to sip it neat between bites of dark chocolate)
Two shakes of Fee's orange bitters
Three Luxardo cherries (a local store makes them up and sells them by weight)
Approximately 1tsp of (real) maple syrup (or to taste; I use the darker, stronger-flavor grade B syrup)

Stir for 30sec. I do this by mixing in a shaker, and then just sort of waving it around 'til it's ready.

I usually strain into a six-ounce Old Fashioned glass, though sometimes I break out a martini glass.