The Martini VS The Manhattan

Cocktails. There are a lot of choices. Today, let’s talk about just two – The Martini and The Manhattan. I know, I know. There are many others – some of my personal favorites include classics like the Old Fashioned, the Margarita, the Daiquiri, and the Negroni. And then of course there are other great drinks such as a Bloody Mary at brunch, a gin and tonic in the summer, or a Grapefruit Crush at a beach bar. But, let’s stay focused people – The Martini vs The Manhattan.

Where do you land in the drinking world? Light? Or Dark?

I suppose the Martini is the sexier of the two. Baltimore-born satirist H.L. Mencken called the Martini “the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet.” And we all know about James Bond and Martinis. Of course, what he mostly did was create controversy. Shaken vs Stirred. Gin vs Vodka. And then he tried to have it both ways in Casino Royale with the Vesper, which includes gin AND vodka. Make up your mind Mr. Bond.

No Martini discussion is complete without a controversy about how much vermouth. A little? A little less? Or maybe just wave the vermouth bottle over the glass? My favorite description of a very dry Martini is the one called “A Montgomery” which has a ratio of gin to vermouth of 15:1. It was named after WWII British Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery, who allegedly was so cautious in battle, he would not attack the Germans without a troop advantage of fifteen to one. Thank heavens people are more reasonable about vermouth now, and know it’s not a bad thing. Go ahead and add some. I think you’ll enjoy it. If you don’t use any vermouth, just remember you’re only drinking an iced glass of gin or vodka.

And finally, how do you garnish your Martini? A lemon twist? An olive? Make it dirty and add a little olive juice as well?

Let’s face it. The Martini is ALL about choices. If you want to have a fun argument with someone, just ask them how they make their Martini. Like fingerprints and snowflakes, it would appear no two people’s recipes are ever the same. As an example, my friends are all over the place on Martinis – vodka shaken, and up with a twist for one; vodka on the rocks with a smidgen of vermouth and two blue cheese stuffed olives for another; and gin, stirred and up, with olives galore for a third.

By comparison, the Manhattan is a solid citizen with only a few choices. Use rye or bourbon, pick a red vermouth, and decide what kind of bitters you want to add. If you’re a purist, it’s rye and Angostura bitters, but you can live life on the wild side and go for bourbon instead of rye. As for bitters, we have a whole great big world out there now. Yes, Angostura bitters are great, but you can also go with Orange Bitters. If you live in the Virginia Piedmont, you might also visit the Whole Ox Butcher Shop*** in Marshall and pick up a bottle of Smoked Cherry Bitters from Artemisia**. Artmisia’s Bitters make a slightly different, and mighty tasty Manhattan as well. By the way, while at The Whole Ox, you should pick up a couple of steaks to grill, while enjoying your Manhattan.

The garnish? A Maraschino Cherry. Please don’t use the nuclear red ones. Buy the real deal. If you want to get adventurous, express an orange peel over the top of the drink. (At The Occidental in DC, the waiter will singe the orange peel with a lighter before expressing it over your drink).

One final choice, or controversy, for both the Martini and the Manhattan – Up, or on the Rocks? Personally, I like mine up, but many, including my wife Cathy, enjoy their’s on the rocks. Having said that, Cath’s a heathen about Martinis as far as I’m concerned. Not only does she have her Martini on the rocks, she also uses vodka instead of gin… ;-).

Which is better, a Martini, or a Manhattan? I suppose that’s a personal choice. Some go light, some go dark. Me? I go both ways. I don’t think there is any rhyme or reason to it, I just enjoy both. I started out several years ago with Martinis, but lately, it has mostly been Manhattans. I’m pretty sure it will change back soon enough. By the way, for me, it’s not seasonal, and usually, not dependent on what’s for dinner. It’s (mostly) a nightly decision around 6PM. Some evenings, I even surprise myself with my choice.

Here are the recipes I use:

Martini

• 2 1/4 oz Gin (Beefeater or Gordons)
• 3/4 oz Dry (white) Vermouth – usually Martini and Rossi for me
• A bit of olive juice (I like them only slightly dirty)
• Olives for garnish

– Add the gin and vermouth to a shaker. Add a titch of olive juice. Add some ice, and shake for about 30 seconds.

– Strain into a chilled cocktail (coupe, Martini or Nick and Nora*) glass.

– Add an olive or three.

A couple of notes:

1. Yea, I know shaking breaks with tradition, but I like the little ice crystals shaking puts in the glass.

2. If you are retired and have the time, you can stuff your olives with blue cheese occasionally. It adds a nice salty flavor. (Another non traditional touch, but I love them).

3. I’m on something of a low dairy diet these days, so I often swap out the olive juice and blue cheese olives for a dash of orange bitters and a lemon peel expressed over the drink after you pour it into the cocktail glass. I still shake it. It’s an incredibly pure tasting drink.

4. It’s worth pointing out that my own taste in Martinis has evolved over the years. When I started out, I wanted them extremely dry (“Bartender, just look at the Vermouth bottle, and that will be enough”.) I migrated over time to about a 5:1, and have been at my current 3:1 ratio for a few years now.

Manhattan

• 2 oz Rye Whiskey – either Bulleit or Old Overholt
• 1 oz Sweet (red) Vermouth – I prefer Noilly Prat or Dolin
• A Couple shakes of Bitters – depending on the night, Angostura, Orange, or Smoked Cherry
• A Maraschino Cherry for garnish

– Add all liquid ingredients to a mixing glass.

– Add ice to the glass (more than you think you need).

– Stir the drink for about 30 seconds.

– Strain into a chilled cocktail ( coupe, Martini, or Nick and Nora*) glass.

– Garnish with the Maraschino Cherry.

A couple of notes:

1. Bitters are critical to the drink. The choice of bitters is up to you, but if you want a classic, use Angostura. If you are in a bar and they try to make you a Manhattan without bitters, just move on.

2. I know I already mentioned this in the text, but for the Maraschino Cherry, use the real deal if at all possible. They are about 500% better than the nuclear red ones you can buy at the supermarket. The originals are from Luxardo, but there are also other good brands online, such as Bada Bing, and Woodford Reserve.

Addendum:

• *Nick and Nora glasses are typically slightly rounded Martini glasses. They are named for the characters Nick and Nora Charles in the classic movie from 1934, “The Thin Man”, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. The movie is a great comedy/drama, and I highly recommend it. A word of caution: Don’t try to keep up with Nick and Nora’s cocktail drinking throughout the movie – you’ll never make it. BTW – The movie is based on the noir novel by author Dashiell Hammett. You may know him as the author of The Maltese Falcon.

• **Artemisia is a local farm and vineyard not far from where we live in Virginia. Owned by Kelly Allen and Andrew Napier, they have established a local food CSA and are starting a vineyard. They are also making four different varieties of bitters, including the Smoked Cherry Bitters I mentioned here. I should mention they do ship, and also, demand is high. You can find more about them (and order their bitters) at this site: https://www.artemisia.farm/ .

• *** The Whole Ox is a wonderful local butcher shop in Marshall, VA. In addition to hand cut meats, and housemade sausages, they carry some hard to find cheeses, interesting wines and beers, and a few other items, like Artemisia Bitters. You can find more about them here: https://thewholeox.com/