serves 1
Ask any hipster bartender worth his arm garters what’s the best booze to mix into a Manhattan, and the answer will be rye. Although bourbon has usurped rye as today’s Manhattan foundation, rye has history. According to David Wondrich, the erudite cocktail historian (and my friend and neighbor), when the Manhattan cocktail was created in 1874, it was made with rye whiskey, the most popular spirit of the era. This was a good thing. Bourbon Manhattans, opines Dave, are so sickly sweet that no amount of fiddling with the bitters and vermouth can save them. Luckily, there are a number of excellent rye whiskies on the market, and if you can find a high-proof rye, Dave recommends that above all (don’t plan on operating any heavy machinery after your tipple).
This is my husband, Daniel’s, adaptation of Dave’s Manhattan, jiggered to meet our exact tastes. Daniel makes a lot of these, especially in winter when cocktails infused with brown spirits warm the soul better than white spirits (or so we think). Garnished with a homemade maraschino cherry, it redeems even the most frustrating, exhausting, harried day.
2 ounces rye whiskey, plus a dash
Scant 1 ounce sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 maraschino cherry, preferably homemade
Stir the rye, vermouth, and bitters well with plenty of cracked ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.