Perfect Manhattan Combination?

[Young Blacksmith]

Here is my go to Manhattan:

2.5 oz Sazerac Rye

1 oz Nolly Prat Rouge

4 dashes Pechyaud's

Luxardo cherry with a bit of syrup

I don't really like Angostura bitters, and find the Sazerac to be just right for my tastes. Need to try the Handy variant!

[EagleRiver]

I think my favorite has become

2oz Rittenhouse

1oz Carpana

3 dashes angostura

After not being able to get any Sazerac for many months I finally picked up a fresh bottle yesterday and made this combination.

2oz Sazerac Rye

1/2oz Cinzano Sweet

1/2oz Cinzano Dry

3 dashes of Angostura

It was very, very good, could become my other go to.

[jersey12]

I like to make my manhattans is with a 5:1 ratio of rye to vermouth. My ideal is made with Willett 4yr rye but I'm happy to use any rye or high rye bourbon (tonight's was made with OGD 114). I also like a good 3 dashes of Angostura and a single cherry if I happen to have any around.

I actually just finished a my current bottle of Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth and would appreciate some input on something different to replace it with. Thanks in advance for your input!

[JKLS]

I actually just finished a my current bottle of Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth and would appreciate some input on something different to replace it with. Thanks in advance for your input!

Edited October 25, 2013 by JKLS
typo

[JKLS]

This:

Ashtray Heart: 1 oz Smith & Cross, 1 oz Dolin Dry or Noilly Prat Vermouth, 1 oz Punt e Mes. Rinse glass with smoky Mezcal.

[jersey12]

I like Carpano Antica.

[Young Blacksmith]

Check out Dolin and Nolly Pratt also, both good vermouths. I can get Nolly Pratt locally, but have to travel to find Dolin and Carpano Antica.

[soonami]

I like Willet FE Rye 110 proofer in Manhattans. Although I made one with Handy the other night that was excellent, it just seems excessively luxurious.

For me, I usually like 3-4:1 Rye to Vermouth. Right now I'm using Cocchi Torino, which I think is great. I also prefer a thick orange twist to maraschino cherry, but that's just me

Usual Recipe:

2 oz Willet FE Rye

0.75 oz Cocchi Torino

2 dashes Angostura

Stir over ice, strain into coupe and then a wide peel of orange (1 x 2 in) twist over the top and rubbed on the rim

[Guest]

I am intrigued by tanstaafl2 and his smokey mezcal rinse, this is something that definitely warrants further experimentation and my sincerest of thank yous goes out to you mate.

Played about 3hrs of basketball this arvo (sunday) and my body is about to explode, after a bunch of water i enjoyed a:

Perfect manhattan

2oz EC12

0.5oz noilly sweet

O.5oz noilly dry

4 dashes agno orange bitters

[JKLS]

Ashtray Heart: 1 oz Smith & Cross, 1 oz Dolin Dry or Noilly Prat Vermouth, 1 oz Punt e Mes. Rinse glass with smoky Mezcal.

I was a bar the other night where they had all of these and I knew the bartender. He made me one. He hated it. My girlfriend who loves cocktails, bourbon, mezcal, smoke, etc also hated it.

I loved it.

I am intrigued by tanstaafl2 and his smokey mezcal rinse, this is something that definitely warrants further experimentation and my sincerest of thank yous goes out to you mate.

And since I do not have any of the original ingredients, tonight I am drinking a variant. What started as a perfect Manhattan and then transitioned to a rum based version is now coming full circle.

1oz THH Sazerac Rye

1oz Carpano Antica

1oz Dolin Dry

2 dashes Bitter End BBQ Bitters

Lagavulin 16 wash

Not half bad.

[tanstaafl2]

I was a bar the other night where they had all of these and I knew the bartender. He made me one. He hated it. My girlfriend who loves cocktails, bourbon, mezcal, smoke, etc also hated it.

I loved it.

It is definitely one for the dry, smokey crowd. Not an every day drink to be sure but every now and again t is just the thing. Comes from the Beta Cocktail book which is full of little oddities like this!

And since I do not have any of the original ingredients, tonight I am drinking a variant. What started as a perfect Manhattan and then transitioned to a rum based version is now coming full circle.

1oz THH Sazerac Rye

1oz Carpano Antica

1oz Dolin Dry

2 dashes Bitter End BBQ Bitters

Lagavulin 16 wash

Not half bad.

Experimentation, as Martha would say, is a good thing!

[c.dono]

Any of you guys try Vya vermouth in your Manhattans or other cocktails? Interested to know how it is.

[Wryguy]

Any of you guys try Vya vermouth in your Manhattans or other cocktails? Interested to know how it is.

Great! It's a bit pricier than other options, but it tastes less processed and fresher in its spiciness. That and Dolin and Cocchi are my mainstays for Manhattans. It's definitely deep, rich stuff.

[SqueakScolari]

Any of you guys try Vya vermouth in your Manhattans or other cocktails? Interested to know how it is.

I love Vya vermouth. That and Punt e mes are my go-to for sweet vermouth. Punt e mes has a bitter flavor that I like.

There's a lot of good cocktails with vermouth, Campari, Cynar, etc.

I just opened my first Carpano Antica and made a Vieux Carré with it (Sazerac Rye and E&J VSOP). Pretty good stuff.

[jersey12]

Just had my first manhattan made with Carpano Antica. Definitely noticed the vermouth more than I ever had before using martini & rossi and I'm pretty sure I liked it but will have to conduct further tests .

[petrel800]

I'm a 3 to 1 guy myself, rye to vermouth. Carpano Antiqua only. 2 dashes fee brothers bourbon barrel aged, 2 dashed barrel aged orange bitters. Serve in a chilled martini glass.

For Rye, I'm a fan of the Willet 4 year family reserve rye. I know its LDI, nut the high proof brings a lot to the drink.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[nd2005]

I've been mixing it up between bourbon and rye lately:

High West Rendezvous Rye 3 oz

Dolin Sweet Vermouth 1.5 oz

Fee Barrel aged orange bitters

1 homemade cherry (see recipe from ErichPryde on this forum)

Stirred, not shaken

Or

Four Roses 1B 3 oz

Vya Sweet Vermouth 1 oz (Vya has a great, distinct flavor, but I tend to go lighter on it)

Fee orange bitters again

1 homemade cherry

Stirred, not shaken

A little splash of 4R1B on top of the finished cocktail

[Solon]

Here's new one I have been having:

3 Parts Rye ( I use Ryan & Wood)

1 Part Sweet Vermouth

1/4 part maple syrup

two dashes Orange Bitters.

Shaken into a chilled glass.

[higgins]

A little splash of 4R1B on top of the finished cocktail

I've been enjoying a splash of high-proof bourbon to the top of my Manhattans lately, usually OGD114. Not too surprising, but it makes for a really good tasting cocktail! :grin:

[JKLS]

Currently:

3/4oz OGD BiB

3/4oz Ritt Rye BiB

3/4oz Punt e Mes

3/4oz Noilly Prat Extra Dry

3 dashes orange bitters

2 ea cherry to garnish

Solid. Might mix up a big batch, throw it in a large mason jar with some charred barrel staves, then bottle it in some small bottles for holiday gifts.

[DAM]

My standard recipe is as follows:

3 oz Rittenhouse

1 oz Carpano Antica

2 Dashes Angostura bitters

Garnished with a lemon twist and a cherry.

And serve in a coup.

My "perfect" Manhattan though is essentially a reverse Jerry Thomas, where I substitute George T. Stagg in a 2:1 ratio with the Carpano. That is hard to beat.

Edited December 11, 2013 by DAM

[Drewsan]

A nice winter rye variation:

1 3/4 oz - Jefferson's 100% Rye

1/2 oz Contratto Bianco

1/4 oz Dolin Blanc

*Stirred with 1-2 dashes Angostura Orange*

*Strained into a chilled Manhattan glass that has a Angostura (regular) wash and an orange (can be flamed) twist*

[tanstaafl2]

Contratto Bianco vermouth is reaching pretty deep into the spirits cabinet! It was only reintroduced last year I believe.

Haven't seen it locally so far. Where are you located?

What do you think of it? Have you tried either of the Rosso's or the fernet?

[matthewdc]

Ordered a pre dinner drink called the The Manhattan Project: old overholt rye infused with ceylon tea & thyme, carpano antiqua formula vermouth, housemade orange bitters.

I have to say it was a very good manhattan--one of the best I've had in a while. I plan to try to infuse some rye to recreate it.

[Oboe Cadobro]

On occasion, I make a Manhattan using Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters (spicy chocolate bitters). Best to NOT use a rye unless you like your cocktail really spicy! I tend to use a lighter weight vermouth like Vya and a lower proof bourbon like WT101, WTRB, or even ETL.

http://bittermens.com/products/xocolatl-mole-bitters/

Bittermens makes a bunch of excellent high-quality bitters for many different styles of cocktails, and they even have recipes for fantastic cocktails you have never heard of...:toast: