Manhattan

A classic Manhattan is a cocktail in which whiskey is stirred with sweet vermouth, ice cubes, and a dash of bitters, and is garnished with a maraschino cherry. It is light, refreshing, and not too sweet, since there is no added sugar. And it is forgiving. While rye is the classic choice, interpret this cocktail with your favorite whiskey—Canadian, blended, Tennessee whiskey, or bourbon. You can also take inspiration from the variety of mixers that have been stirred into the cocktail over the years, from absinthe and sherry to gomme (gum syrup, made with sugar and gum arabic).

To make it “perfect,” stir in half dry and half sweet vermouth. The choice of glassware is also yours—a Manhattan may be strained into a rocks glass or, for an elegant presentation, into a stemmed cocktail glass. A luxurious Luxardo maraschino cherry, as opposed to a generic maraschino, is a must.

In her 1906 recipe collection, The Peytonia Cook Book, Atholene Peyton, a domestic-science teacher and cooking expert, stipples the time-honored drink with bar syrup, adding a sweetness that makes the drink remarkable. To honor the tradition, I stir in a little bit of the maraschino cherry juice (from the jar) for its bright color and sweet pizazz. Modern imbibers will marvel.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice' by Toni Tipton-Martin. Buy the full book on Amazon.