It being a Monday with nothing much to celebrate except a hangover from brunch with Mom yesterday, our thoughts naturally turn to a little libation to smooth the way into the workweek. And why not a Manhattan, the drink Esquire booze maestro David Wondrich calls “a crisp and darkly invigorating cocktail,” served straight up in the classiest glass we know?
Yes, it sure would be nice to be dressed like Myrna Loy with a freshly stirred Manhattan at our elbow. But according to Wondrich, there’ll be no showing off your tongue dexterity (or just how much time you’ve spent hanging around in bars) by knotting the cherry stem when you’ve finished. Nope, says the expert, a real Manhattan (as opposed to a perfect Manhattan) needs no cherry. As he says, “American whiskey is not gin and can stand a hell of lot more vermouth. And don’t forget the bitters.”
We’re with Mr. Wondrich on the bitters, especially this gorgeous-sounding blood orange version, but we do take umbrage at his cavalier disposal of the cherry. The problem is not the presence of the cherry in the drink, but the type of cherry used. Don’t poison your drink with one of those neon-red, disgusting sugar bombs sold in every supermarket as maraschino cherries. Instead, buy a pound or two of fresh cherries and make your own, no chemicals required. No cherries in your market yet? Try this recipe from the Marin Independent Journal using dried or frozen tart cherries. We’ll drink to that.
I use calvados cherries in my manhattans. When I can restrain myself from just eating the calvados cherries with the bar spoon.
Sorry, but it isn’t a Manhattan without the bitters OR the cherry… but don’t take just my word for it: Dale deGroff and James Villas are both with me on this. I make my own Maraschino cherries ( there is really no comparison between the bottled cherries and these ) by rinsing and drying fresh sour cherries, stem on (the season is very short: when you see them, buy them! ), putting them into a jar with enough Luxardo Maraschino to cover. Let them sit at least a week before using them. Maraschino is also a required ingredient for making the classic cocktail “Aviation”, so don’t worry about having to buy a 750ml bottle. You’ll use it up.
I loathe Sara Jessica Parker for making the Manhattan a chick drink. Now I get asked who the drink is for when I order it, like I’m getting it for a girl. No, it’s for me, not a girl. How can a whiskey based drink be feminine?