The Manhattan Revisited

In an effort to make up for my recent dereliction of duty, I am coming with one of the best recipes to cross my lips in a very long time. Most would argue that it is a losing proposition to try and improve on one of the all time classics, but this amazing variation comes damn close. Whichever version you prefer the Manhattan is the epitome of a classic and seems most in its element in the cold months of the year; if you can add a roaring fire, a tweed jacket and a pipe, you’ll become my new mascot and poster boy.

A friend of mine told me that locals in Manhattan don’t drink Manhattans, I am still debating the statement, but either way it is where the drink originated. As with many cocktails from the nineteenth century, there are many who claim credit for creating the drink, and many variations on the story. It is safe to say that the drink as we know it originated in the 1860s or 1870s in Manhattan, whether in the Manhattan club or another bar. The history behind this variation is very clear though. The recipe appears in the 1930 holy book of cocktailing, the Savoy Cocktail Book. In a reckless act of pure genius that could only have been pulled off by a Yank serving a bunch of Brits, the ratio of vermouth and whiskey is switched from the more traditional version served on this side of the pond. Add a bit of maraschino and you have Craddock’s take on the Manhattan.

To create this drink start with two ounces of sweet vermouth, my current favorite is Cinzano, in a cocktail pitcher. Add an ounce of good bourbon, Maker’s Mark has not failed me yet in a Manhattan. Add a teaspoon of the syrup from your cocktail cherry jar and two dashes of Angostura bitters. Fill with ice and stir well. Serve in a chilled cocktail glass with three homemade cocktail cherries.

Savoy Manhattan

2 oz sweet vermouth

1 oz bourbon

1 tsp cocktail cherry syrup

2 dashes angostura bitters

Stir all the ingredients in an ice filled cocktail pitcher. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with cherries.

The Pegu Club Cocktail

The great gin cocktail quest of 2010 continues with more successes than failures and I have another winner for your drinking enjoyment. The Pegu Club is a fairly simple, easy sipping cocktail, perfect for warm summer nights, the tropics, and while visiting your favorite junta ruled totalitarian state.

This cocktail originated during the 1920s in The Pegu Club in Rangoon. As a far flung outpost of the British Empire, Burma offered few of the creature comforts for which your average Brit yearned, save for a classy gentleman’s club to gather with the boys, enjoy a cocktail, and toast the Queen. The house cocktail spread through the empire and the rest of the world, appearing in Haddocks’s tome, The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930.

This cocktail is a true crowd pleaser. Men and women, gin lovers and haters. Everyone that I have mixed this for has become an instant fan. It has the perfect combination of sweet, sour and bitter, not to mention it packs a pretty hefty punch!

The version I prefer uses two types of bitters, some recipes call for only one. While I have found that the taste difference is nearly indiscernible, I like any excuse to use all the bitters that I can. Start with 2 ounces of gin, I like Plymouth in this drink, but any good London dry gin will work. Next add ¾ ounce of Cointreau and ½ ounce of fresh squeezed lime juice. Kaffir limes are the most authentic, but can be difficult to find. Lastly add a couple dashes of orange bitters, a couple dashes of angostura bitters, shake and serve with a lime slice as garnish.

To Queen and Country!

The Pegu Club

2 oz gin

¾ oz cointreau

½ oz fresh lime juice

2 dashes orange bitters
2 dashes angostura bitters

 Add all ingredients to your shaker, fill with ice.  Shake vigorously.  Pour into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a thin slice of lime.

Satan's Whiskers

I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that gin is an area of cocktail knowledge where I am severely lacking for recipes that I really enjoy. I partially blame my devotion to bourbon for this deficiency; I also blame the fact that I have not taken the time to get past the very basics. To remedy this misfortune, I have committed to trying at least one new gin based cocktail per week for the next eight weeks. I was hoping to find three or four that are suitable for publication; on my first dive into the gin filled pool, I came up with a winner. With a name like Satan’s Whiskers how could I have gone wrong!

The earliest reference I could find to this cocktail is the original Savoy Cocktail Book from 1930. Craddock’s recipe is slightly different from mine; I prefer a little less orange juice and a little more Gran Marnier. I was worried that the orange flavor would overpower the rest of the drink, but the gin and sweet vermouth have a nice presence and provide good balance.

This is a fairly straightforward cocktail to make. Since juicing the orange is the only step that requires any effort that is where I like to start. I tried this using both Plymouth and Hendrick’s gin and preferred the flavor of the Hendrick’s, but with all of the other flavors going on, any decent gin should yield favorable results.

One note of caution, this is one of those drinks that can really sneak up on you!

Satan’s Whiskers

¾ oz gin

¾ oz dry vermouth

¾ oz sweet vermouth

½ oz gran marnier

½ oz orange juice

2 heavy dashes orange bitters

Put all ingredients into an ice filled shaker.  Shake vigorously.  Pour into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with cherries and serve.