Manhattan

[coltcannon]

For me shaking adds too much air and water, plus it will be cloudy. The more viscous mouthfeel from stirring is part of a delicious manhattan to me.

Re: Shit bartenders say, I know everyone involved in making it and they actually wanted me to star but I was in Mexico. Hilarious stuff :slappin:

[scratchline]

The rule is that cocktails which call for only liquors (martinis, manhattans) be stirred and ones that incorporate juices (sours) be shaken. Of course, even shaking is variable. A good bloody mary is rolled in the shaker so that the tomato juice isn't messed up.

And rules are made to be broken.

-Mike

[CADMixes]

"Bruising" spirits is a totally made-up thing. Anyone who warns you about it has no idea what they're talking about.

Shaking - Aeration, cloudy appearance, a thin layer of ice on the drink (unless you double-strain)

Stirring - No aeration, more liquor-like mouthfeel, clear appearance.

One thing I'll say in favor of shaking is that it's much easier to achieve consistent results (chill and dilution in the shaker stabilize after about 15 seconds pretty much no matter what you do). But there's an elegant quality to stirred drinks that I wouldn't want to give up.

[MonsterMashBill]

I've consumed many manhattans. The best manhattan I ever had was this:

4 parts OGD 114

1 part sweet vermouth

dash angostura

1 cherry

Combine all ingredients with ice. Stir. Strain into a martini glass.

BTW, does anyone else find drinking from martini glasses (pardon the pun) dispiriting? What I mean is, when your drink level gets about halfway down, you actually only have like a quarter of it left.

[ILLfarmboy]

BTW, does anyone else find drinking from martini glasses (pardon the pun) dispiriting? What I mean is, when your drink level gets about halfway down, you actually only have like a quarter of it left.

[CADMixes]

I've consumed many manhattans. The best manhattan I ever had was this:

4 parts OGD 114

1 part sweet vermouth

dash angostura

1 cherry

Combine all ingredients with ice. Stir. Strain into a martini glass.

BTW, does anyone else find drinking from martini glasses (pardon the pun) dispiriting? What I mean is, when your drink level gets about halfway down, you actually only have like a quarter of it left.

[Kalessin]

I like martini glasses for gin or whiskey martinis, but if the glass was made at too wide an angle, then they're awkward to drink from.

If I don't feel like dealing with a proper martini glass, I'll use a six-ounce rocks glass. Same drink, easier washing up.

[humchan2k]

Here's the deal. I am, if you check my other posts about the Old Fashioned, a complete cocktail snob, to the point that I have sphere ice cube trays from Japan and make my own simple syrup....and love to flame orange peel into my drinks.....so when it comes to the Manhattan, I take it pretty seriously. I have 2 major go-to recipes for the Manhattan, depending upon my mood and whether or not I want to work for it, here we go:

The "Perfect" Manhattan:

2oz Baby Saz - I love Baby Saz more than Ritt for Manhattans

0.75oz Carpano Antica - by FAR the best vermouth, but spendy

3 healthy splashes of Angostura

2-3 griotte cherries, cured in kirsch brandy, on a toothpick

1 bar spoon of griotte cherry kirsch liquid from the jar

You can find these amazing griotte cherries in most fine food stores, but if that's a hassle, get the Luxardo cured cherries, they're amazing.

Stir, don't shake, and MOST IMPORTANTLY - strain into a pre-chilled cocktail glass...a cold glass goes a LONG way to preserving flavor!

The "Lazy" Manhattan:

3oz pour of High West 36th Amendment Barreled Manhattan

2-3 griotte cherries, no liquid

This is about as perfect a Manhattan as you can find, and all the work is done for you by Mr. Perkins...if you don't know about this, go to the store and get some IMMEDIATELY. Oh, and again, chilled glass, please!

Enjoy!

[spinningrecords]

I've concluded that vermouth goes bad pretty fast even when stored in the refrigerator. My latest round of manhattans were made with a fresh bottle of Antica Carpano and were very tasty regardless of the rye or bourbon used. A month later I finished of the last of the vermouth and the manhattans were just plain bad.

[mrviognier]

The "Lazy" Manhattan:

3oz pour of High West 36th Amendment Barreled Manhattan

2-3 griotte cherries, no liquid

This is about as perfect a Manhattan as you can find, and all the work is done for you by Mr. Perkins...if you don't know about this, go to the store and get some IMMEDIATELY. Oh, and again, chilled glass, please!

Enjoy!

Thanks for the plug! FYI...we call this one "The 36th Vote". We barrel this down four times a year, which results in bottling four times a year. We never seem to bottle enough to meet demand.