"The Manhattan...man up"

The most famous of the "borough" cocktails...but what is the real story?  The most popular of these stories starts with a banquet in honor of presidential candidate Samuel Tilden being hosted by Jennie Jerome...A.K.A. Lady Randolph Churchill...A.K.A. Sir Winston's mother.  As the story goes it was invented by Dr. Iain Marshall for the Manhattan Club in New York City in the 1880's.

Traditional recipes show the base of this cocktail as rye whiskey.  In recent years bourbon has become acceptable, but for purists (especially since the rebirth of rye whiskeys) rye is the way to go.  During my quest for the perfect mix I discovered Carpano Antica, the original formula for Italian Sweet Vermouth.  The last ingredient is just a given, the only bitters ever mentioned with regards to this cocktail is Angostura.  Lastly, garnish with a cherry....and don't even think about those nasty imitation cherries...try something real like a Luxardo or Amarena!  Four simple ingredients...rye, vermouth, bitters and a cherry, but just in case...

Barragan's Manhattan

In a beaker combine...

2 oz Rye Whiskey (why not Hudson Manhattan Rye)
1 oz Carpano Antica Original Formula Sweet Italian Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Add ice and stir to chill.  Strain into a Champagne Coupe Glass and garnish with a cherry

Cheers!