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One of my very favorites. I use 2:1 whiskey to vermouth. The cherry syrup makes a noticeable difference. I happen to think Fabbri Amarena cherries are just as good as Luxardo, and as a bonus for this drink if you make it often, there's more syrup in the jar. My favorite whiskey is Angel's Envy, but I will use whatever bourbon, rye, or Irish is handy. My favorite vermouth is Carpano Antico, but likewise I'm pretty happy with whatever's available. I also prefer Fee Bros. Old Fashion Aromatic bitters to Angostura, but again, I use what's on hand.
Very nice but missing my rye hit! Actually the balance is great, just need to find the bourbon base that suits you. I tried half half Woodford reserve (the 40% woosy version they’re selling in Australia) and Wild Turkey 101 which was okay but not amazing. Might go back to current fave Elijah Craig next time.
Very nice - slimmed down version of a Manhattan, but the taste retains the boozy bourbon punch. I think this definitely needs a heavy 1/2 t of Marashino Cherry syrup to get this sweetened up to a typical (2:1) Manhattan ratio. Obviously, could just make this as 1.5 oz bourbon : 3/4 oz sweet vermouth : 2 dashes Ango to make it a slightly shrunken Manhattan, but I like using the syrup to reduce the booze pct. a bit, as well as the volume.
Considering how delectable and how fast it's made, there's no reason to gulp down a bottle of bourbon like a barbarian anymore. Instead, the same amount can be ingested in small quantities whilst retaining some amount of class 🙃
I was disappointed. I guess I'm just too young to enjoy a Manhattan. I unfortunately got mostly the ethanol from the Bourbon (replete with the burn), with none of the nuances whatsoever. The sweet vermouth (I used Cinzano) was completely lost, and the bitters just tasted like bitters. Any insight? Is it just that I have underwhelming ingredients?
Chris, I think Manhattans are better balanced with a 2:1 ratio of whiskey to vermouth, rather than the 3:1 suggested here. I also like them with a bit more syrup from the cherry jar -- maybe a barspoon. I don't know what you were using for ingredients, but better ones will of course make a better drink. No matter what brand of vermouth you use, it needs to be fresh. Vermouth goes stale after a few months once it's opened, even if you keep it in the refrigerator.