I’ll Take Manhattan

My Manhattan variations 

My favorite historical cocktail is the Manhattan.  This is the drink that exemplifies the cosmic shift in the universe from New Orleans to New York.  Why I dare say the cocktail’s rise to fame and glory began the day they finished the Eire Canal.  New York City becomes the most important port in America and our elders across the pond began to take notice.  Trade brings wine, spirits and vermouth from the Old Country as well as their tired and poor yearning to drink free.  This old world drinking style combines in a glass with bitters,  American Rye whiskey, the spirit George Washington and Thomas Jefferson made,  and pour like silk woven into the new American fabric.  The drink represents the new sophistication of Industrialized America and the world wide scope that our power now reached.

On a personal note, this is the first drink I learned how to make.  My grandpa taught me when I was 7 so I literally have over 30 years of experience making a Manhattan.  My Gramps had 44 grand kids and I was a girl right in the middle trying to get his attention and since I was always obsessed with those classic cocktail placemats at the diners our family would frequent, I became his personal barman.  He liked his sweet, a  1:1 ratio bourbon to sweet vermouth.  I like mine perfect with a twist, and with Rye, natch.

It was family lore that my Grandfather’s parents met while they were working at the old Waldorf-Astoria hotel.  But I have only recently discovered that my great –grandfather worked as a Waiter and bar man and made have been under the tutelage of the famous Oscar Tschirky.

It is my personal quest to find out more of about the origins and popularity of my favorite cocktail, The Manhattan and the city where my family bloomed.

My variations

Big Chief

2 oz Bourbon (Willet Pot Still)

½ oz Averna

½ oz Punt e Mes

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a flamed orange disk

Longshorman

2 oz Rye (Willet Rye)

½ oz Averna

½ oz Punt e Mes

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a flamed orange disk

The bitters are in the Punt e mes and this has a darker, deeper richer Manhattan.  Make it with Rye and I call it The Longshorman, because of its similarities to a Red Hook, which is based on the Brooklyn, which, in turn, was based on the Manhattan. They are both great 3 ingredient cocktails.

New York Mutt

2 oz Irish Whiskey (love Knappogue Castle 12 year old single malt..or Power’s John Lane)

½ oz  Pierre Ferrand dry curacao

¾ oz Sweet vermouth (Cinzano)

Dash of Maraschino Liqueur

Dash of Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas Bitters

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a lemon twist

I am Irish, Italian, Sicilian, French and Austrian.  My Mom used to call me a New York Mutt.  The ingredients in this cocktail represent every country my ancestors left to come to America, specifically, New York City.

7 Steps to Hell

2 oz Scotch (Black Grouse)

½ oz  Pierre Ferrand dry curacao

¾ oz Sweet vermouth (Cinzano)

Dash of Maraschino Liqueur

3 Dash of Bitter Truth Creole Bitters

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a lemon twist

A twist on my New York Mutt, this contains ingredients from all the countries my Grandfather Vincent served in during WWII.  He fought in Patton’s 7^th army, his unit’s name?  7 Steps to Hell.  My Grammy’s nickname to this day is Hell Kitty.  She was their pin up mascot.

Old Square

1 oz Bourbon

1 oz Lairds Apple Brandy, Bonded

1 oz sweet vermouth

Barspoon of Benedictine

Dash of Ango bittere

Dash of Orange bitters

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a lemon twist

Really a Vieux Carre variation (which I see as a Manhattan variation for sure), but more “American” with the apple brandy and Bourbon, our official spirit as of 1964, and served up instead of on the rocks.  Came to me when I preferred my Vieux Carre’s served up and my Nola bartending friends told me emphatically that it was not a Vieux Carre if it was not served on the rocks.

Hickory Chicory Dock

2 oz Rye (Willet Rye)

1 oz Hoodoo Chicory Liquor

Dash of Orange bitters

Dash of Chocolate Mole bitters

Strain and serve up in a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry

This is a nice twist if you can get your hands on this chicory liqueur.  

Perfect Pearing

1 oz Bourbon

1 oz Pear Brandy

1 oz Martini Gran Lusso (Or Lillet Red)

Stir over a big rock and garnish with a dusting of fresh grated cinnamon

Really I think this is another Vieux Carre variation, but certainly rooted in the principle ideas of the Manhattan.  Spirit, Vermouth and hint of bitter or bark in a 2:1:dash ratio.

Florida Interruption

The Manhattan project is on hold while I am here in sunny (but COLD) Florida...unless I can find some old man bar who still makes a decent Manhattan. This is Boca Raton after all. Its just like New York, but older and with palm trees.

Miami is not to far away either...Crocket! Tubbs! Come get me, man!

Lest you forget..this show had style and GREAT music..very artsy for its time...and violent too...despite the lack of blood. We were just not used people getting killed on our TV. Or a show with the budget for helicopters for that matter....

Really, guys? Jeeze!

I guess this is just an example of great minds thinking alike. Still I wish I had pitched this idea sooner....They even stole my title!! Jeeze Louise!

It would still make a great Cocktail Book! Anyone? Publisher? Friend of a publisher? Hello?

I'll Take Manhattan
[Imbibe.com]

The Bees Knees Manhattan

Photo: Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times

Well, what better honey for a Manhattan than this bright red stuff from Maraschino cherry juice loving bees!

The NY Times had a story today about NYC bees preferring the fake cherry flavor of Maraschino cherries then the real stuff in our local farm. The nerve of those little stingers! And who is the victim? Our own local at Fort Defiance David (soy latte) Selig. David celebrated his birthday this evening at the Fort and seem seemed in fine spirits despite this betrayal by his bees.

Perhaps he should bring the red honey down to the bar and I'll try to make him a Bees Knees Manhattan.

"The Mystery of the Red Bees of Red Hook"
[NY Times]

Upper Manhattan

The Little Red Light House and the Great Gray Bridge.
One of the many reasons why I love my neighborhood...she'll get her own drink named after her some day soon...

Last night at Fort Defiance I was guilty of getting another regular customer hooked on my own take of a Manhattan. Our accountant loves this drink and it was created for his taste, but apparently it suits a lot of other tastes as well. Its a softer Manhattan with a kick of citrus and spice. I wanted to mimic a Vieux Carre and I wanted to use my spiced syrup for it is too good to be used on just one drink (see: First Salute). When John first tasted it he asked if it had a name. I said no, because I just invented it here and now. So in the tradition of letting my regulars name this drink, he christened it the Upper Manhattan.

See, its become quite the joke that I live in a neighborhood on the other side of the city from Fort Defiance, when most of the people who work there are local (or at least in Brooklyn). And yes, the commute is sometimes a drag. But I ask all, where else could I work where I have such wonderful customers, great co-workers, the best food and drink, an honorable boss, make rent and have health insurance? I have not been this happy about going to work since I was a nanny for Zach in my early 20's.

Besides. I love my neighborhood. If I could open up Fort Defiance on my block, I would. It is the kind of place I always wanted to open myself. Good food, good drink, good people...how can you go wrong with that formula? Its clearly harder than it seems.

This drink isn't as complicated as it looks. My boss rolled his eyes at me the first time I told him what was in it when John requested it from him, but it is no more complicated than the Vieux Carre currently on our menu. The Bourbon mellows out the rye, while the syrup punches up the spice. The light touch with both the syrup and the vermouth and the double bitters keeps it from being too sweet.

Upper Manhattan

1 oz Rye
1 oz Bourbon
1/2 oz Carpano
Barspoon "Abby's Mix" Spiced Syrup*
Dash Orange Bitters
Dash Old Fashioned Bitters

Stir in a mixing glass over cracked ice, Strain and serve up with a cherry garnish.

*"Abby's Mix" is merely a simple syrup infused with cinnamon, star anise and grapefruit peels.

I'll Take Manhattan

I have been thinking about what my cocktail book would be like. I'd want to do something that combine history, personal and otherwise, my favorite spirits and the city that has inspired me this past two decades. The answer is simple; the Manhattan. Older than the Martini with countless variations, the Manhattan is the perfect subject. It also happened to be my favorite cocktail to both drink and play around with (Brown, Bitter & Stirred, Lindsay?).

So lets start at the beginning. The first Manhattan I had was with my Grampa Charbonneau. He liked his sweet, with bourbon (kinda hard to find rye then anyway) on the rocks with a cherry. I ordered the same from the bar as a fresh 21 year old eager to bond with my Gramps. We were in some family style restaurant, I can't remember which one. My Gramps liked placed like Perkins and the Pondarosa. When I went back for seconds I mentioned to the bartender that I found the drink a bit sweet. I don't know what kinds of bartending Angel was working the Golden Corral that night but he mentioned that I might take my Manhattan perfect. He messed around with the proportions and I had my first taste of how good a Manhattan could be. Oh, I still wanted the cherry of course. I was 21 after all.



Gramps Manhattan
1 1/2 oz Bourbon
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
Bitters

Stir on the rocks with a cherry

Perfect Manhattan
2 oz Bourbon
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth

Stir in a glass with cracked ice. Strain into a cocktail glass with a cherry.