IN GREDIE N TS • 2 oz Lot 40 rye • 1 oz sweet vermouth • 3 dashes Angostura bitters
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until well chilled and diluted. Strain the cocktail into a chilled coupette.
Garnish with a brandied cherry. Maraschino cherries became readily available in the U.S. in the early 1900s and stuck as the premier garnish for the manhattan. Rinse the cherry of excess sugar to avoid adding unnecessary sweetness to your cocktail and avoid those radioactively red, synthetic ones at all cost.
Pro tip: Stock the smallest bottles of vermouth you can find and keep refrigerated to reduce oxidation.
Photography: Fairmont Royal York
COCKTAIL DECONSTRUCT
Rus Yessenov, director of mixology at the Fairmont Royal York walks us through the iconic manhattan cocktail.
The bolder characteristics of a 100 per cent rye whisky will help to balance the heavy dose of sweet vermouth. However, it can be made with Canadian Club whisky, an alternative used during Prohibition when rye was unavailable. Some recipes call for ¾ oz sweet vermouth and make for a dryer cocktail.
Reign, 100 Front St. W.
MANHATTAN Popularized during the second half of the 19th century, the manhattan cocktail’s origin is unclear despite many fantastic tales. Legend has it that the drink was created in 1874 for Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston, to honour presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden. Whether it was first served at the Manhattan Club in New York City or not, one thing is for certain: the cocktail’s significance was such that its predecessor became “old fashioned.” Proportions have changed many times, but the three key ingredients (whiskey, vermouth and bitters) have stood the test of time. With that in mind, there’s something idyllic about nestling oneself in the comfort of a historic hotel lobby and ordering a well-crafted manhattan. If only the walls could speak. fairmont.com/royalyork
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