The Manhattan Group

By Kara Mae Adamo.

I recently posted about familiest of cocktails and how, by grouping them together, you can memorize recipes and make connections easier.

This time, I’d like to talk about what I refer to as, The Manhattan Group.

A personal favorite of mine across the board, this family of cocktails can be found at virtually any bar that serves whisky.

So here it goes:

Let’s start with the Manhattan. By far the most well-known in the group, the Manhattan dates back to around 1860, where it was initially crafted at a bar on Broadway over by Houston Street. When prohibition reared it’s shiny little head, they had to switch out American whisky (at the time, rye was used) with Canadian or Irish whisky when they could find it (or, of course, with whatever “whisky” someone made in their bathtubs), but once that nonsense was over, the Manhattan came back in full-force.

These days, it’s made with either Bourbon or Rye, Angostura Bitters, and Sweet Vermouth. A proper Manhattan is stirred (not shaken, so help me Christ), and is either served up or on the rocks. I garnish mine with either expressed orange peels (make sure you rub the glass with the peel so that, when the person drinks it, they can smell the orange and it brings out the flavor) or with port-wine soaked black cherries. I do not use those godforesaken maraschino “cherries” for anything other than, when absolutely required, a shirley temple. I hate those things and you can quote me on that.

The second in the Manhattan Group is the Rob Roy. This drink is absolutely identical to a traditional Manhattan, but instead of American whisky, you use Scotch. I would do a lemon peel for a Rob Roy.

Third on the list is the Old Fashioned. Traditionally, an Old Fashioned is made by putting a sugar cube in a glass, dousing it with bitters, muddling said sugar cube, pouring about 2 ounces of either bourbon or rye on top, filling the glass with ice, and stirring the drink until the sugar dissolves. You can then express an orange peel and/or add a black cherry. The cheap, corporate America way to serve the drink is to muddle an orange slice and one of those maraschino monstrosities together with simple syrup. To each their own, but it’s not the classic recipe. The classic recipe is, in every way, a thing of absolute beauty.

Old Fashioneds are often tweaked and can be deconstructed and rearranged creatively. I’ve seen thai spiced syrups used for Asian-Fusion Old Fashioned recipes (You can try one at Doi Moi in DC on the corner of 14th and S), and I’ve seen Old Fashioned recipes where they add a floater of Grand Marnier to the top, which is particularly delightful on colder days because the burn of the cognac warms you up and adds a touch of vanilla to the drink.

The Manhattan Group is a lot of fun. You can smoke herbs into the glass before adding the booze, you can light an orange rind on fire, you can carmelize the sugar and bitters before mixing. It’s one of the most versatile drink families out there and really does lend itself to a variety of alterations.

There are also countless flavors of bitters and multiple different types of vermouth that you can play with. This combo is by far one of my all-time favorites to both make and drink.

Until next time,

Cheers.

Kara Adamo is a bartender, booze nerd, and booze writer. She is the author of Fancy Grape Juice: De-Snootifying the World’s Snootiest Beverage; Artimals: Coloring the Whimsical Wild; and Brews & Hues: A Coloring Book About Beer.Adamo currently lives in Washington DC.