Manhattan

The (Perfect) Manhattan

Many drinkers will agree that the standard Manhattan is a perfect cocktail: simple, balanced and elegant. But the Perfect Manhattan is in fact a separate, though closely related, drink; the “Perfect” in the drink’s name refers not to a cocktail made perfectly (though that is, of course, the aim) but rather to the use of two different styles of vermouth in “perfect”—which is to say, equal—proportions.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces rye whiskey
• 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
• 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Garnish: brandied cherry or a lemon twist

Steps

1. Add the rye whiskey, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth and bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass or cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a brandied cherry or a lemon twist.