The Perfect Manhattan

The perfect Manhattan:

• 3 small ice cubes
• 2oz Rye-heavy whiskey (I really like Tin Cup
• 2oz Sweet vermouth
• 1.5oz Dry vermouth
• 0.5oz Triple sec
• 2 Luxardo Maraschino Cherries, plus a little syrup
• ~5 dashes each Angostura Aromatic and Orange bitters

Add the ice and the four liquors to a (preferably chilled) martini glass. My favorite are these glasses.

Skewer the cherries and use them to stir. While stirring, drizzle in a little cherry syrup, less than half an ounce.

Dash the bitters over the top.

Technically, my perfect Manhattan is not a Perfect Manhattan, which requires equal amounts of sweet and dry vermouth. But all cocktail measurements are guidelines, really.

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The secret of martinis

I enjoy cold, dirty, dry gin martinis, and recently discovered the secret to getting the balance right: Treat the vermouth as bitters.

That's it.

Here's how I like mine:

• 5 Queen olives stuffed with pimentos
• 1.5oz Olive brine
• 4.5oz Bombay sapphire gin, kept frozen
• A few dashes of dry vermouth

Spear some of the olives and use them to stir the brine and gin together, then cover the vermouth bottle with your thumb and squirt a few drops over the top.