Vermouth Throwdown: The Manhattan Cocktail

August 22, 2012 · by The Liquid Culture Project · in Cocktails. ·

So, the first round of the Manhattan Olympics turned out to be a success. However, one contender was absent from the field and that was the current standard, which we’ll refer to in this post as, “The Millennium Standard.”

Tapping my Instagram resources, that booze crazy lot of bahl hornin’ folk, it became apparent that the 2:1 ratio of William Schmidt’s recipe was the commonly-employed recipe for the Millennium Standard. The reasons are obvious — it’s fantastic! A good element of sweet with a punch of Rye. Pow! All culled together as something beautiful. It’s like Marisa Tomei in a glass.

In the wake of Manhattan madness, Ali and I took an evening to decipher between two versions of the most-commonly used recipe. Consider this a controlled experiment.

The Manhattan (The Millennium Standard Formula), Version No. 1:

2 oz of Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey
1 oz of Carpano Antica
1 dash of Regan’s #6 Orange Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, fill with ice, stir and strain. Garnish with a fresh lemon twist.

The Manhattan (The Millennium Standard Formula), Version No. 2:

2 oz of Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey
1 oz of Cinzano Rosso Italian Vermouth
2 dashes of Regan’s #6 Orange Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, fill with ice, stir and strain. Garnish with a fresh lemon twist.

We omitted the pomp — the absinthe and maraschino — from Schmidt’s recipe. This was a key decision with the Carpano version, as it found a home in the void of sweeter elements. Varying the vermouth creates two, entirely different tipples; making personal taste the primary consideration. Where I love bitter elements, I adored the complexity of the Carpano Manhattan; whereas Ali, one of bitter’s most fervent detractors, found love in the sweet, cherryesque, Cinzano Manhattan. I’ll admit, the orange bitters were astoundingly active in the Cinzano Manhattan and created a beautifully, well-rounded cocktail.

Though if we’ll remember The Manhattan Club’s stamp on the original cocktail: history is told by the victors. Carpano Manhattan, you are the Gold Standard!