It's Noon Somewhere...Manhattan

This certainly isn't the most exciting cocktail I will ever post, but its a classic for a reason (and let me tell you, I have a fabulous, fun cocktail coming up very soon!).  This is the story of how I learned to stop worrying and drink whiskey.  When I started drinking cocktails, I hated anything brown (even dark rum!) and could basically only stomach the sweetest drinks out there and a Cosmopolitan or  Lemon Drop came in a martini glass so I felt fancy getting them (also Sex and the City, right?).  So for the last few years those have been my go to unless a bar had a fancy menu and then I would try something new, usually with vodka or rum and sometimes gin or tequila.  But I had tried whiskey and couldn't stand it, so I generally avoided it like the plague.

But after a while, I got sick of ordering the same freaking drink everywhere.  Plus, every time K and I went to a dive bar or a place with no menu to order an original cocktail from, I would be stumped as to what to get.  And I would almost always get a Cosmo, a drink I do like a lot, but I got bored and tired of the sweet and tart taste.  I wanted something with more bite, and something with a bit more cocktail cred.   And at home, I was in a rut. More often than not on the weekend we aren't bar hopping but we are at home with cocktails and appetizers making dinner.  And we have a pretty fully stocked bar but we generally like to keep it simple.  Tiki is my jam but it is better left to the professionals, too much juice!  So at home every weekend I would have Cosmos, so much that I almost grew to dread them.

So I decided to teach myself to like whiskey.  At first, it was hard for this sweet loving girl.  I started by ordering drinks at bars that had whiskey and other things I thought I'd like.  And then I just started ordering Manhattan's on the rocks and before I knew it I would get them up sometimes too! And then I realized I actually liked them.  This isn't to diss Cosmopolitan's or "girly" drinks, I still love them.  All flavors make cocktails wonderful, sweet, tart, bitter and acid are all necessary.  I was just stranded on the girly drink island and needed a change.

Instead it is a celebration of my newfound appreciation of whiskey, particularly in the Manhattan.  I would have loved to get K to write this post because he has much more insight than I do, so I questioned him a bunch about how to make a good Manhattan.  Here is what I gleaned: technically, Rye is better than Bourbon, but Bourbon is acceptable, and when K first started drinking and we were on a budget he did a blend.  I now have a taste for Michter's which is lovely but a little spendy, we usually buy Maker's Mark or Bulleit, but Canadian Club or Seagrams is very budget friendly, especially if you aren't semi professional drinkers like us.  Also, stirring is encouraged but shaking will make it a little thinner on the tongue, which I like.  Angostura bitters are traditional, but K prefers Peychaud for flavor and color (got to keep it NOLA), and finally, a cherry is the best garnish but an orange peel is a beautiful substitute.

K and J's Manhattan


2 oz whiskey

3/4 sweet vermouth

2-3 dashes Peychaud bitters




Mix all ingredients in a shaker and shake with ice (or stir if you prefer).  Serve up or on the rocks.  Maraschino cherry required (that's my rule, not K's).




Cheers!

Julie