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Came across this "Perfect Manhattan" riff while searching through my old copy of "Ultimate Bartender's Guide." I expected I would find an older source, or another name for effectively the same cocktail, but came up empty.

Lots of room to experiment with different bourbons, vermouths, and apricot here, as well as varying proportions. I chose Bulleit Bourbon because I like it, and its name is "shrapnel adjacent." I used Carpano Dry and Carpano Classico for the vermouths (I thought Antica might be overbearing in this.) I chose Rothman & Winter Apricot liqueur and have liked it with both 1/4 and 1/2 oz quantities.

My wife gave it a thumbs up, so it is in the rotation now.

History

Source of the cocktail is not stated in the book. Barbug.com lists the same name and recipe using Jim Beam Bourbon and Hiram Walker Apricot Liqueur, so that might reflect the original calls from the magazine.

Curator rating

5 stars

Average rating

3.5 stars

(4 ratings)

From the Knowledge Vault

Who Makes My Bourbon?

This is the fifth in a series on Bourbon by Zach Pearson. Read them all: Bourbon, Bourbon After the Act, Bourbon: What it is ... and isn't, Making Bourbon, Who Makes My Bourbon, Producer Capsules., Finding the Good Stuff, Tasting the Good Stuff, Neat, Mashbills, Geeky Information and Resources.

About a year ago, GQ exerpted this great picture from David Haskell's The Kings County Distiller Guide to Urban Moonshining. Click the image on the left to see the detail. It’s pretty easy to see from this that there are really only thirteen major Bourbon producers in the United States. These 13 distilleries are owned by only nine companies.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You can’t walk into a liquor store and not see an entire 50 foot shelf of Bourbons with names you’ve never heard of. Some of them are even local. All of them have great stories on the back about how this particular Bourbon was the favorite of Ulysses S. Grant or Al Capone or was made by some hill-William from a secret family recipe only recently rediscovered inside a hollow log in Possum Lick, Kentucky. Like the Templeton Rye label to the left. Click it to expand and read it.

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Recent Discussion

Re Martinez, 23 hours 33 minutes ago danoman89 commented:
Went 3:2 gin:vermouth; really impressed with the outcome. Not usually an Old Tom Gin fan but it all comes together great here
Re Sakura Martini, 2 days ago mako commented:
Truly fantastic with the Roku Sakura Bloom Edition (#6). What a great drink. It's very sake forward so make sure to use a good sake!
Re The Half Windsor, 3 days ago Jojiro commented:
Laphroaig rinse, 15 ml Pierre Ferrand Cognac, 25 ml ruby red grapefruit juice, 60 ml Cocchi Americano, with a short shake. Really fantastic low-ABV sipper that has enough complexity to stand up by your friends drinking Martinis and Manhattans. Lasting gentian bitterness, but a measured sweetness up front.
Re Smoking Jacket, 3 days ago Artur B commented:
Used cheapest single malt, 0.5 oz of vermouth and Cynar. Solid.
Re Suze-E-Q, 3 days ago Jojiro commented:
Agreed - it's a wonderful combination.