Best Manhattan variations?

[campus five]

Among tonight's repeal day libations, perhaps the best Manhattan specification I've ever had:

2:1 Van Winkle Rye / Cocchi Vermouth di Torino

2 dashes Miracle Mile Forbidden Bitters

Lemon Peel

[FrogPrincesse]

I just did a cocktail called the FitzRoy for Eater Philly's Cocktail Week. FitzRoy is the surname that's been given to illegitimate children of the king since the 12th century and Henry I. He apparently had quite a few. Since it's a bastard child of a Manhattan, the name seemed fitting.

FitzRoy

1.5 oz. El Dorado 5 Rum

.75 oz. Elijah Craig 12 yr. bourbon

.75 oz. Punt e Mes

2-3 dashes orange bitters

Garnish: Orange twist (flamed or not as you prefer)

Stirred, strained into a chilled coupe. Garnished.

Your cocktail, Katie, looks really good, but note that is another cocktail named the Fitzroy, created by Sam Ross (and mentioned by Toby Maloney here, together with other Manhattan variations that use a Laphroaig rinse). (Fitzroy happens to be the name of the neighborhood in Melbourne where Sam Ross' first bar the Ginger was located). I had it a week or two ago. It's (blended) scotch (I use the low-end Glenfiddich which does not have much personnality), sweet vermouth, angostura, and Laphroiag rinse. A smoky Manhattan variation.

Here it is.

Edited December 6, 2012 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[EvergreenDan]

It's (blended) scotch... A smoky Manhattan variation.

Sam's Fitzroy is a Rob Roy with a Islay rinse -- the Gibson of the Manhattan family, I'd say.

[FrogPrincesse]

It's (blended) scotch... A smoky Manhattan variation.

Sam's Fitzroy is a Rob Roy with a Islay rinse -- the Gibson of the Manhattan family, I'd say.

You are right, but the Islay rinse makes quite an impact. I've never been a fan of the Rob Roy and liked this variation much better.

[KatieLoeb]

Thanks Chris. I'd been keeping that one in my back pocket for a while. Since it's a different base spirit (different mother) and a little bitter (as any bastard child might be) the named seemed particularly apt. Sometimes the name comes and then you reverse engineer the drink later...

I tried to look up FitzRoy cocktail to see if anyone had used the name before and didn't find the Sam Ross drink. I did find the neighborhood in Melbourne, but figured few would know that connection. I doubt anyone will confuse me with Sam Ross!

Edited December 8, 2012 by KatieLoeb (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

A friend gave me a bottle of Luxardo Sangue Morlacco cherry liqueur (disclosure- she works for Anchor Distilling which imports Luxardo in the US), one of the things that were missing in my ever-expanding liquor cabinet. The first cocktail I knew I wanted to try was Remember the Maine, a wonderful Manhattan variation. 1/4 oz of the sweet vermouth in the Manhattan is replaced with cherry liqueur, and the glass is rinsed with absinthe (I used a little spray bottle).

It was better than a version I had made a while back with maraschino liqueur (I realize now that maraschino and cherry liqueur don't have much in common even though they are both based on Marasca cherries!). The cherry liqueur adds fruit and sweetness to the drink that the absinthe balances very well with just enough spice.

[FrogPrincesse]

Here is the Dobbs Cocktail, a Manhattan with a heavy rinse of Fernet-Branca. Very nice if you are looking for a bittersweet alternative to a Manhattan.

Edited December 17, 2012 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[turkoftheplains]

Not sure if this is sufficiently original to merit a name, but I'm getting attached to my name (even if I'm applying it to somebody else's Manhattan variant.)

Birch and Band-Aids

3 oz. Rittenhouse Rye

1/2 oz. Vya sweet

1/2 oz. Averna

2 dashes Regan's orange + 2 dashes Ango

Lagavulin rinse, orange peel garnish

I really like the mix of aromatics from the Averna, the Scotch, and the orange.

I had the Blue Ridge Manhattan at Violet Hour about 4 years ago (still one of my very favorite cocktails from there), and I'm sure that was the inspiration for the Islay rinse. The "band-aids" descriptor is courtesy of Nandini from TVH, who applied it to Laphroaig and somehow managed to make it sound like a good thing.

[EvergreenDan]

I poured a small sample of Lagavulin for a friend, honestly thinking that he would love it. With wrinkled nose, he exclaimed, "Band-aids!" and dumped the rest out. I peed myself a little.

[huiray]

At least two fat plump cherries.

------

MOST hated versions: Shaken Manhattans.

[turkoftheplains]

I poured a small sample of Lagavulin for a friend, honestly thinking that he would love it. With wrinkled nose, he exclaimed, "Band-aids!" and dumped the rest out. I peed myself a little.

I'm assuming that was the end of your friendship.

[FrogPrincesse]

Last night's Manhattan variation was Toby Maloney's Violet Hour. 3/4 sweet, 1/4 dry, with a touch of black strap rum. I used Buffalo Trace barrel 19 for the bourbon, Dolin for the sweet and Noilly Prat for the dry vermouth, Cruzan for the rum, and the whiskey barrel aged old fashioned bitters from Fee Brother's.

Very pleasantly aromatic.

Violet Hour
by Toby Maloney, Violet Hour
2 oz Bourbon
3/4 oz Sweet vermouth
1/4 oz Dry vermouth
1/10 oz Virgin Islands Rum, Cruzan Blackstrap (a bit over 1/2 tsp)
3 ds Bitters, Fee Brothers Old Fashion

Build in a rocks glass, stir.

[FrogPrincesse]

I tested two very similar Manhattan variations this weekend. I wanted to recreate Erik Lorincz's Norman Conquest at home, inspired by a recent visit to the American Bar. The Noman Conquest is a Manhattan with bourbon and Calvados. At the American Bar they use Woodford Reserve and Martini Rosso, at home I used Buffalo Trace and Dolin rouge for a more assertive mix. My Calvados is Daron.

Norman Conquest (Erik Lorincz): 1 oz bourbon, 1 oz Calvados, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 1 teaspoon simple syrup, 3 dashes Angostura bitters, rocks, orange twist garnish.

Then I remembered that I had tried a similar Manhattan variation with Calvados in the past (it's actually upthread), Sam Ross' Grandfather. I made it side-by-side for comparison purposes. He calls for applejack but I used Calvados.

Grandfather (Sam Ross): 1 oz bourbon, 1 oz applejack, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, 2 dashes Peychaud's, up.

The differences are minor - the simple syrup and orange twist in Erik Lorincz's version, the Peychaud's bitters in Sam Ross's version, Calvados vs. applejack.

With such minor differences they are both very good. I ended up staying with the Grandfather as I thought it was more flavorful and interesting (others may say, more rough). Erik Lorincz's version feels slightly more restrained and elegant.

As a side note, the version of the Norman Conquest that was published calls for scotch and not bourbon, more like a Rob Roy, which actually makes more sense given the name of the cocktail. I think I would like to try that version too.

[Adam George]

I'd wager that if you were to make a Norman Conquest with Scotch, but replace the simple with a spoon of Drambuie and add a dash of Peychaud's Bitters it would settle this once and for all.

[FrogPrincesse]

I'd wager that if you were to make a Norman Conquest with Scotch, but replace the simple with a spoon of Drambuie and add a dash of Peychaud's Bitters it would settle this once and for all.

[Rafa]

Well?

[FrogPrincesse]

Well?

Sorry for the unbearable suspense. I loved it. With Scotch and Drambuie, it's more complex than the bourbon version. I wonder if that is why they put the more easily approachable/mass-appealing bourbon version on the menu at the American Bar.

[Rafa]

I can rest easy now.

[EvergreenDan]

Crap. Drambuie resistance is, apparently, futile.

[huiray]

A Manhattan has, to me, bourbon, angostura bitters, a maraschino cherry (or two), sweet vermouth, etc ... AND STIRRED NOT SHAKEN.

[Rafa]

A Manhattan has, to me, bourbon, angostura bitters, a maraschino cherry (or two), sweet vermouth, etc ... AND STIRRED NOT SHAKEN.

Try one with rye. Not that there's anything wrong with a bourbon Manhattan when the mood's right.

[Adam George]

Well?

Sorry for the unbearable suspense. I loved it. With Scotch and Drambuie, it's more complex than the bourbon version. I wonder if that is why they put the more easily approachable/mass-appealing bourbon version on the menu at the American Bar.

You're welcome.

[huiray]

A Manhattan has, to me, bourbon, angostura bitters, a maraschino cherry (or two), sweet vermouth, etc ... AND STIRRED NOT SHAKEN.

Try one with rye. Not that there's anything wrong with a bourbon Manhattan when the mood's right.

Yes, true - rye is the traditional whiskey used and I do use/ask for it. So I should have said "bourbon/rye"...

[scubadoo97]

Barreling a Manhattan can have some very good influences on the cocktail.

[Rafa]

I tried Adam's take on the Norman Conquest with a dash of Bénédictine rather than the barspoon of Drambuie (I'm out) and I enjoyed it. The Peychaud's is a nice touch with the apple spirit. I'll have to try it the right way sometime.