The Manhattan

"The Manhattan was apparently invented on the island of its name in 1874 at The Manhattan Club. The occasion was a party for New York's newly elected Governor. The party was hosted by Jennie Churchill who was the mother of Winston Churchill, Great Britain's Prime Minister during World War II and later. The original recipe called for Rye Whiskey, Sweet Vermouth, and a dash or two of Angostura bitters with a maraschino cherry garnish.

So, all that aside, what is a Manhattan and how should it be ordered and made? I thought you'd never ask!!

First: Call your base either Rye or Bourbon and your brand of choice. i.e. Canadian Club, Maker's Mark, etc. (eg: "I'll have a Maker's Manhattan")

Second: If it's a Manhattan skip to the Third step. If you want it Dry or Perfect, now is the time to say so.

Third: Up or on the rocks.

-- And this is very important -- a Manhattan is never, ever, shaken unless the customer requests it. The only time you shake a drink is when it has juice or cream or a substance other than alcohol. Drinks that contain nothing but alcohol should never be shaken, they are stirred. A Manhattan will be foamy when shaken and that is not how to make this drink. A barspoon, a julep strainer, and a mixing glass with ice are all you need.
A Manhattan is:

2 oz. Rye or Bourbon; 1oz Sweet Vermouth with a few dashes of Angostura bitters. It is stirred in a mixing glass and strained with a julep strainer which is used with mixing glasses into a chilled cocktail glass and garnished with a cherry. Traditionally, a maraschino cherry was used, the same kind you got on top of your banana split, but today all the top houses use marinated cherries which are dark and are usually Italian. They can be found in any gourmet shop, and they add a nice complexity to any Manhattan. I highly encourage anyone to use them.
A Dry Manhattan doesn't mean less Vermouth, but rather the substitution of Dry Vermouth for Sweet Vermouth. The proportions are the same as in a Manhattan, but the garnish is a lemon twist instead of a cherry.
A Perfect Manhattan isn't one that is as good as the bartender can make, rather it is dividing the proportions of Vermouth evenly between Sweet and Dry. The garnish is a lemon twist. Do you see a trend here? Whenever you use Dry Vermouth, a lemon twist is used.
A Rob Roy is a Manhattan made with Scotch Whisky (sic). The proportions are the same as in all of the variations described above. You are simply adding a different base."

Karl Kozel