Pbenjay's Blog

Manhattan (Photo credit: fpaulus)

Now this IS a rare occasion – I was walking around the liquor store with Peter today and our purpose was to buy Gin for him and some red wine for my Mah Jongg group.  All of sudden, I turned to him and said, “Mmmm I think it would be nice to have a Manhattan this evening” – that’s the rare occasion. Then I had to try to remember what exactly went into a Manhattan.  I had a vague recollection that it had whiskey in it, sweet vermouth and of all things, a maraschino cherry.  

After suffering from sticker shock over the price of Jack Daniels, Maker’s Mark and the like, I finally accosted a store clerk and inquired as to exactly what alcohol went into a Manhattan.  Well apparently it began with Canadian whiskey which was actually a Rye but Canadian  whisky (that’s the way they spell it) is no longer rye-based. There are Manhattans made with Bourbon, Rye or Whiskey.  I finally opted for Black Velvet Canadian Whisky and the reason – it was among the least expensive.    After all I wasn’t sure I would really like the drink after all these years and besides, once in the house, who else would drink it?  Peter made me an excellent Manhattan even though we didn’t have the bitters or the cherries.

Well here’s some history on this very classic cocktail which was named for a very classic city.  By the way, there are five cocktails named after the boroughs of New York.  The five cocktails I’m referring to are: The Manhattan, The Bronx, The Brooklyn, The Queens and The Knickerbocker.  Staten Island often referred to as the orphan sister of the boroughs does not have a cocktail for its namesake!!

But back to to the Manhattan and I have to concentrate here because Peter made me a Manhattan and there is only about an inch left in my glass!  By the way, my Manhattan is not pure.  It doesn’t follow  the classic recipe because I no longer have Angostura Bitters or maraschino cherries  in my  cottage. And would you believe that last week when I was emptying  the refrigerator the maraschino cherries actually made it to the third cut!  I could only take so much home to my New York refrigerator and finally deemed the cherries would not make the journey! Who knew 10 days later I would be wanting a Manhattan, a drink that actually calls for a maraschino cherry as the garnish?

In the early 1870’s, Dr. Iain Marshall is credited for creating this cocktail for a fete hosted by Jennie Jerome (Lady RandolphChurchill, Winston’s mother) to honor presidential candidate, Samuel Tildien.  Apparently the success of the banquet fueled the popularity of the drink.  People began asking for the drink that was served at the club by the name of The Manhattan. That’s a popular version of history that is probably fictional since Lady Randolph was pregnant at the time and in France. 

The original Manhattan recipe called for American Whiskey, Angostura Bitters and Italian Vermouth.  There are prior references to a recipe for a drink similar to the Manhattan including one from the 1860’s.  By one account it was invented in the 1860s by a bartender named Black at a bar on Broadway near Houston Street.  

An early record of the cocktail can be found in William Schmidt’s “The Flowing Bowl”, published in 1891. In it, he details a drink containing 2 dashes of gum, 2 dashes of bitters, 1 dash of absinthe, 2/3 portion of whiskey and 1/3 portion of vermouth. Wikipedia.

The same cocktail appears listed as a “Tennessee Cocktail” in Shake ’em Up! by V. Elliott and P. Strong, copyright 1930 (p. 39): “Two parts of whiskey, one part of Italian Vermouth and a dash of bitters poured over ice and stirred vigorously.”

The standard recipe calls for 2 parts whiskey, 1/4 part Sweet Vermouth, a dash of Angostura Bitters and garnished if you wish, with a maraschino cherry. Ahhh but there are always variations!  Nowadays, it is more likely that a Manhattan will be made with bourbon, Maker’s Mark of Jack Daniels.  Today, you may find a Manhattan made with orange bitters or Peychaud bitters, a lemon peel instead of a cherry. You can order it straight up cold in a Martini glass or over ice in an Old Fashion glass.  Some people add some of maraschino cherry juice for added sweetness and color, some actually omit any bitters.  So many different ways to the end result…. This must be America or at the very least New York City.

Related articles

• The Three Keys to a Great Manhattan Cocktail (aarp.org)
• 3 Classic Cocktails (abeautifulmess.typepad.com)