Michael Takes The Manhattan

The Manhattan is a cocktail that has been dear to my heart for a while now.  It is a simple cocktail, just three ingredients – whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters (and maybe a maraschino cherry for garnish).  And as will all simple cocktails, mixologists the world over have been tampering, twisting, and reinventing it over the years.  I like the simplicity of a Manhattan, so when making them I stick to the basics.  The catch to making something simple is that the ingredients have to be the highest quality.  When I first started making Manhattans I would just change up the whiskey, but use the same vermouth and bitters each time.  Whiskeys vary greatly from brand to brand, so this kept me entertained for some time, but eventually I settled on a couple whiskeys that I really enjoy and I no longer switch it up.  Next I began experimenting with various vermouths.  The final ingredient to experiment with was the bitters.  Only a couple dashes of bitters go into a Manhattan, but they can really change the flavor and aroma profile of the drink.  For the longest time I had been using angostura bitters, which are classic.

The last time I was buying whiskey and vermouth from my local purveyor of fine spirits he pulled a small brown box out from under his counter and presented it to me.  Inside the box were Urban Moonshine’s organic bitters from Vermont.  The merchant had two small vials with vaporizers on them and proceeded to spray the back of my hand with Urban Moonshine’s Original and Maple bitters.  The scent of both was quite nice, herbal and spiced.  The taste was, of course, bitter, but well rounded and full.  I chose to go with the Maple Bitters as they have a wonderful sweet finish that I felt would match nicely with my Sazerac Rye Whiskey. 

Once home I wasted no time preparing a Manhattan using Sazerac Rye Whiskey, Punt e Mes vermouth, and Urban Moonshine’s Maple bitters.  I should note here that when using Punt e Mes vermouth I use a bit less than I would with say Martini & Rossi because it is heavier in flavor.  The bitters come in a small bottle with an eyedropper as a cap which makes for great measuring.  I used two squirts of half droppers, equaling approximately one full eyedropper per drink.  The full recipe is:  4oz Sazerac, 1 1/2oz Punt e Mes, and 1 eyedropper bitters.  After stirring the liquor with ice – I really prefer my Manhattans stirred because I don’t appreciate the foam that occurs when they are shaken – I strained it over a glass with an ice cube and a maraschino cherry.  The result was pure, old fashioned heaven.

I did a little research into Urban Moonshine and it sounds like they are a pretty cool and conscientious company.  All their ingredients are organic or ethically wildcrafted.  They try to buy everything locally, only using larger distributors when something is out of season.  They even list the farms they predominantly buy from on their website, www.urbanmoonshine.com.  So, what are you waiting for?  Go out and get yourself some Urban Moonshine.

- Connoisseur Michael