Manhattan Cocktail

Recipe

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Combine Bourbon or Rye with Sweet Vermouth in a glass with ice. Add two or more dashes of Bitters. Stir to chill. Strain into a glass and garnish with a cherry.

Commentary:

Now that you know the "proper" way to make a Manhattan cocktail and you have tried it this way at least once, make it any way you want. Fuck the purists. I've experimented over time and find that I like certain things. As long as you are at least using bourbon or rye, sweet vermouth and bitters in any combination you prefer, you are drinking a Manhattan.

I prefer bourbon, and it doesn't have to be a great bourbon. Why? I just do. With my unsteady hand, I usually end up with 2.5 to 3 ounces of bourbon. But I think that shit tastes good.

I usually drink it in a rocks-style glass on ice. I don't want to mess with the straining and I drink mine fast enough to not get watered down. But I won't be mad at you if you strain that shit into a chilled martini glass and drink it with your pinky up.

As for the cherry, sometimes I use two of those florescent red, candied little fuckers. And you might even find me stirring in some of the tasty juice they come in. If you want to pedal your ironic moustache down to a farmer's market and buy some hand-jarred, organic cherries, then I'll drink to your health. Other fruit? I want a drink, not a fucking fruit salad. Hell, an orange slice might be tasty, though.

The grocery store I go to sells Angostura bitters, so that's what I use. I don't even know what the fuck they are, but they taste good in a Manhattan. I hear there's all kinds of artisanal bitters. Congratulations if you have these. I am sure most of them will taste good in a Manhattan.

Enough of what I think. Make yourself a drink and enjoy.