Smooth Out the Controversy With a Manhattan

Controversy is a wonderful spectator sport.  Whether you want to tune into campers raging against the other one percent, court battles over immigration law in Alabama, testy exchanges over noise in Moraga, or a leaf blower brouhaha in Orinda, it’s all way better than watching ice curling.  But, even these fail to compare to the entertaining rants related to the classic Manhattan – the third rail of the cocktail world.

Many cocktailers have their own prized recipe for the Manhattan and are convinced that theirs is the only proper mix.  Some of the most heated debates I’ve ever heard have been about Manhattan recipes and believe me it can get ugly.

A traditional Manhattan is a beautifully balanced cocktail made with rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Angostura bitters.  The hearty depth of the rye, the sweetness of the vermouth, and the hint of bitterness from the Angostura are three mighty pillars upon which some families have literally spent generations building their own complex recipes.

This recipe is striped down to the basic three flavor elements, which make the Manhattan a fairly easy drink to mix while still providing that tasty balance.  However, one word of caution if you mix a Manhattan for someone else – Manhattans are traditionally stirred.  I have seen people flip out, and I mean Mel Gibson kind of flip out, when their Manhattan was shaken.  The best rule is to stir unless asked to shake and that way nobody ends up going viral with a rant on YouTube.

                                                   Manhattan

                                                  Ingredients

* 2 oz. Rye Whiskey  * 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth  * 2-3 Dashes of Angostura Bitters ** Maraschino Cherry

Pour the rye and vermouth into a shaker that’s about half-full of ice.  Add in the bitters and stir (unless asked to shake).  Once the ingredients are well mixed, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a Maraschino Cherry.

If you’re looking for some more fun cocktail-related videos, check out the 30-Second Bartender channel on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/30secondbartender.  And, don’t forget to give me a “like” on Facebook.  More recipes are available at www.30-SecondBartender.com!

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