Best Manhattan variations?

[FrogPrincesse]

De rien!

You should speak to Martin Doudoroff; he is the app developer.

[lesliec]

One quick diversion to my favourite booze shop on the way home from work later (we were nearly out of bourbon, I discovered, when I went to make a Williamsburg last night) ...

 

Very nice.  Buffalo Trace, Punt, Carpano Bianco and my liqueur de laurier standing in for yellow Chartreuse.  Definitely to be added to the top 10, I think (which probably has something like 100 drinks in it now).

 

Merci encore, madame.

[weinoo]

De rien!

You should speak to Martin Doudoroff; he is the app developer.

 

Speak to him, yes.  Just be careful about going drinking with him       .

[tanstaafl2]

The Williamsburg (Clif Travers via Gaz Regan), which is described by its creator as a cross between the Greenpoint and the Red Hook. Old Weller 7-year bourbon (Elijah Craig 12-year bourbon), Dolin dry vermouth, Punt e Mes, yellow Chartreuse.

I thought it was a bit too herbal for my taste but it was well received by its Manhattan-loving recipient.

 

 

 

Do you think the Yellow Chartreuse gave you most of the herbal component you noted? Or was it the combo of the Dolin, PeM and Chartreuse?

I ask because the bourbon substitution you made was from a softer wheated bourbon (I presume Old Weller Antique 107 proof? Used to be a 7yo but is now NAS) to a lower proof but older and typically a bit woodier rye based bourbon. I wonder if that would make any noticeable difference?

 

[FrogPrincesse]

Do you think the Yellow Chartreuse gave you most of the herbal component you noted? Or was it the combo of the Dolin, PeM and Chartreuse?

I ask because the bourbon substitution you made was from a softer wheated bourbon (I presume Old Weller Antique 107 proof? Used to be a 7yo but is now NAS) to a lower proof but older and typically a bit woodier rye based bourbon. I wonder if that would make any noticeable difference?

 

Something to do with the combination of the Dolin dry vermouth, Punt e Mes, and yellow Chartreuse. Maybe it would have been better with the Old Weller, I am not sure because I've never had it.

[Annette Marron Holbrook]

I'm not much for variations on my Manhattan, just love it the way I was taught to make it. I believe I was told to remember the original area code in Manhatta (212) to remember the recipe. 2oz Rye, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 2 dashes bitters. 

My only variation is winter/summer. 

Winter is served up, with cherry garnish.

 

 

Summer is served in an old fashioned glass, one or 2 huge ice cubes and citrus garnish (depending on which I have, lemon is usually on hand).

 

Annette

[FrogPrincesse]

Fred Yarm of cocktail virgin slut merged the recipes for the Manhattan and the Sazerac, two of my favorite cocktails, in his Merchants Exchange Manhattan. I made my rendition with Willet 5-year rye, Cocchi vermouth di Torino, Peychaud's bitters, and St. George absinthe.

 

[Craig E]

Is Cocchi vermouth di Torino pretty much your standard sweet vermouth? What does it bring? (I've never tried it.)

[FrogPrincesse]

Craig,

 

Cocchi vermouth di Torino is a regular sweet vermouth. The Torino style is actually the most common style of sweet vermouth; see Martin Doudoroff's vermouth 101 for more info.

 

To me, Cocchi VdT feels a little more subdued than other sweet vermouths I tried, but still has a great amount of complexity. Its chocolate notes work great with Fernet for example (it's fabulous in a Hanky Panky). Diffords has pretty detailed tasting notes here.

[FrogPrincesse]

Irish Manhattan (The Dead Rabbit) with Jameson Black Barrel whiskey (Redbreast 12 Irish whiskey), Dolin sweet vermouth + wormwood infusion (Margerum amaro), Pierre Ferrand dry curaçao, Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Orinoco bitters, expressed orange peel.

 

Slightly sweet and dangerously smooth. These were gone in no time at all.

 

 

[FrogPrincesse]

And another one...

 

Hearn (Jack McGarry, The Dead Rabbit) with Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey (Redbreast 12 Irish whiskey), Dolin sweet vermouth (Margerum amaro), green Chartreuse, The Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters, absinthe (St. George) , orange bitters (Regan/Fee/Angostura), expressed orange peel.

 

 

That one overwhelms with herbal notes at first. A flavor bomb with the green Chartreuse and absinthe dominating, and the Margerum in the background. Then a soothing wave of Irish whiskey with caramel and sweetness. But the wave is short-lived and the herbal tide comes back in full force. It's fascinating, although not as easy to like as the Irish Manhattan previously described. That one would make absolutely anyone fall in love with Manhattans, no question about it. It's irresistible.

Edited August 28, 2015 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

This one which was created as a variation on the Red Hook has an everything-but-the-kitchen sink approach, but it works very well. It is spicy and interesting, with a long finish from the Chartreuse which reminded me of another favorite Manhattan variation, the Greenpoint.

 

Red Head (Mathias Alsen via Gaz Regan) with Wild Turkey 101 rye whiskey, Pierre Ferrand 1840 cognac, Martini Gran Lusso sweet vermouth, Campari, Luxardo maraschino liqueur, Averna, green Chartreuse.

 

 

 

Edited November 3, 2016 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[scubadoo97]

Currently my best Manhattans are coming our of the tap of a 5L barrel on my kitchen counter top. I can customize up to a point but it's currently OGD114 bourbon with Dolin sweet vermouth as a base.

[Rafa]

Frog, you're better at citrus garnishes than many professional bartenders I know. (Namely me.)

[ananth]

I love the Greenpoint but there is another Manhattan twist that I am fond of.

Joseph AKHAVAN, a French (yes another one ) bartender, presented his 44°43’N/142°30’E (it represents Hokkaido’s GPS coordinates) which allowed him to win the 2011 edition of the Nikka Perfect Serve. This cocktail is now known as Bamboo Crane.

 

Bamboo Crane :

 

50 ml Nikka From the Barrel

15 ml Carpano Antica Formula

7,5 ml Xérès Pedro Ximenez

2,5 ml Bonal

1 dash of Peychaud’s Bitters

3 drops of Bob’s Abbotts Bitters

 

I can only recommend you to try this sublime twist of the Manhattan.

 

[ananth]

Employees Only's Manhattan

1,5 oz Rye

1,75 oz Sweet Vermouth

0,5 oz Grand Marnier (I used PF)

3 dashes of Angostura

 

Obviously less dry than a standard Manhattan, I found this version not bad but I guess I was expecting it to be better.

[sbumgarner]

On 4/2/2016 at 7:31 AM, ananth said:

 

 

Wow, where did you get that Dolin from? I've never seen that label around, I guess it was the one before the current label?

[FrogPrincesse]

That looks like the (current) French label to me.

[sbumgarner]

Ahh ok, I didn't know they had different labels for different markets.

[ananth]

Exactly, that is the current one  I have to admit that I find it quite ugly I prefer the old one.

[tanstaafl2]

On ‎11‎/‎11‎/‎2015 at 5:41 AM, ananth said:

I love the Greenpoint but there is another Manhattan twist that I am fond of.

Joseph AKHAVAN, a French (yes another one ) bartender, presented his 44°43’N/142°30’E (it represents Hokkaido’s GPS coordinates) which allowed him to win the 2011 edition of the Nikka Perfect Serve. This cocktail is now known as Bamboo Crane.

 

Bamboo Crane :

 

50 ml Nikka From the Barrel

15 ml Carpano Antica Formula

7,5 ml Xérès Pedro Ximenez

2,5 ml Bonal

1 dash of Peychaud’s Bitters

3 drops of Bob’s Abbotts Bitters

 

I can only recommend you to try this sublime twist of the Manhattan.

 

 

Sounds interesting but given how hard Nikka from the Barrel is to get in the US I am reluctant to use much for a cocktail. I wonder if I could get away with Yoichi, especially the newer NAS bottle although that isn't much easier to find these days, or perhaps Hakushu which I think will also be NAS going forward.

[ananth]

Trying this substituying the base whisky would obviously change the taste but it doesn't mean that the result will not be good. Try it and give us a feedback

 

 

Perfect Prescription
http://imbibemagazine.com/perfect-prescription-recipe/

 

S&C and saline solution bring an interesting dimension to this drink. However, I found it to be a litte too dry for my palate ; Pierre Ferrand's cognac which is "rounder" than Rémy Martin's VSOP should give a better result. And I guess that my dry vermouth spent a little bit too much time lying down into my fridge

 

 

[FrogPrincesse]

Fallback (Sasha Petraske) with Rittenhouse 100 rye, Daron XO calvados, Cocchi vermouth di Torino, amaro Montenegro, Peychaud's bitters. I got some caramel notes, chocolate from the vermouth, apple of course, and a lot of orange and spice from the Montenegro.

 

 

 

 

[lesliec]

That's delicious, FP.  I used Rittenhouse and an amateur Calvados produced by distilling some cider a friend had made and decided he didn't like.  Could it be any better with 'proper' ingredients?  Hard to imagine.

[Kerry Beal]

On September 3, 2016 at 3:44 AM, lesliec said:

That's delicious, FP.  I used Rittenhouse and an amateur Calvados produced by distilling some cider a friend had made and decided he didn't like.  Could it be any better with 'proper' ingredients?  Hard to imagine.

Always good to have friends around with fermented liquids they don't need!