A list of my personal favorite whiskeys.
First, the whiskeys that make the world’s finest drink, the manhattan.
- Sazerac Rye
- Knob Creek Rye
- Templeton Rye
All these ryes make for a good manhattan.
Next, my favorite sipping whiskeys.
- Blantons
- Knob Creek Single Barrel Nine Year
- Willits XCF in Curacao Barrels
- Angel’s Envy
- Jefferson’s Groth Cask
- Calumet Farms
- Forged Oak from Orphan Barrel
- Jefferson’s Reserve
- Van Winkle 12 Year Lot B
My Manhattan Recipe
- 4 Ounces Rye or my favorite, a High Rye Bourbon, like Knob Creek Single Barrel Nine Year
- 3/4 Ounce Sweet Vermouth
- 2 Dashes Orange Bitters
- A Couple Luxardo or Amarena Cherries (or homemade brandied cherries) plus a couple drops of the juice
- Fill a cocktail shaker with crushed ice, add the whiskey, vermouth and bitters, stir with a long handled bar spoon – not shaken* – then pour through a strainer into a martini glass with the cherry and juice in the bottom. A tiny bit of ice in the martini glass is normal but on the rocks is right out*.
Thanks to Michael, the mixologist at Braddock’s Streetside in the Renaissance Hotel Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on the stir versus shake technique and that a manhattan should never be served on the rocks.