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BY CHRIS POH
I'll Take Manhattan
As
one
widespread recounting of the 1874 tale goes, Lady Randolph
Churchill was hosting a party for then New York Governor and future
presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden at the Manhattan Club when the
cocktail so named for its house of origin came into being. Supposedly,
one Dr. Lain Marshall, an attendee at the gala event, suggested the mix
of Italian vermouth, American whiskey and a dash of Angostura bitters.
The drink quickly caught on, and was simply referred to by the patrons
of the bars and clubs throughout the city’s neighborhoods as the
Manhattan.
There are number of reasons why this story is
probably not accurate. For one, there are written references to a
similar cocktail by the same name having its origins in the 1860s at
another downtown drinking establishment. Furthermore, the records
indicate that Lady Churchill was in France and with child, carrying
England’s future Prime Minister, at the time of the alleged party for
the New York governor. But last, and most importantly, Samuel J. Tilden
was known to be a “Bourbon Democrat,” and the traditional Manhattan
most certainly demands a good rye whiskey.
Wherever the truth of its beginnings may lie,
we do know that the Manhattan was the first cocktail to use sweet
vermouth as a modifier. And that particular ingredient, along with the
maraschino cherry garnish, probably led to its popularity with the
ladies and inquisitive young lads. To the best of my recollection, my
very first taste of alcohol was an under the table stealthy sip of that
crimson concoction. With the recent emergence of America’s small craft
distilleries, some of which that are producing outstanding rye
whiskies, the Manhattan is once again finding favor with a new
generation of “legal age” imbibers.
Here is the
traditional Manhattan recipe:
· ¾ oz of sweet vermouth
· 2 ½ oz of rye whiskey
· Dash of Angostura bitters
· Maraschino cherry (garnish)
Stirred (not shaken) over ice, strained into a chilled glass,
garnished, and served straight up. |
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