Here we are, nearing the end of March-tini, and we are presenting not a Martini, but a Manhattan. What's up with that?

First, variety is the spice of life, and simply doing Martini's all month might have given some of our gentle readers a bit of gin fatigue. But second, Manhattans and Martinis only have a couple differences. Both are base spirit forward, use vermouth as an accent, and can have a spicier third ingredient added later (bitters in a Manhattan, and brine in a martini). Both cocktails should be stirred, not shaken, to make sure the drink is not overdiluted. The flavours should be astringent, bold, and clean. Shaking can overdilute and make for an opaque flavour more befitting a rye and water than a formal cocktail.

A final similarity is the glass these drinks are served in; Martinis and Manhattans do well in chilled coupes. You can of course drink them out of whatever you want (though we think an Oktoberfest Boot would be a bit much) but there's something satisfying about drinking a cocktail out of it's intended vessel.

Of course there are differences as well, the most prominent of which is the base spirit. Manhattans are made using rye as opposed to gin in a martini. Rye is a great spirit with a spicier flavour profile than a bourbon or whiskey; This spice pairs very well with warm, citrus and sweet flavours, so orange bitters and warm spices like cardamom work brilliantly in a Manhattan. Sweet vermouth is used in a Manhattan, as opposed to a dry vermouth with gin - these combinations tend to complement each other well. Finally, the garnishes are different between the two cocktails. In a gin Martini, usually it is the fruit or pickle contained in the brine of a Martini that is skewered then balanced on the lip of a glass. If it is a clean Martini, you can include a lemon peel as well. In the case of a Manhattan, however, the garnish is usually an orange peel, or a skewered Maraschino cherry: the theme of sweetness and rye continues with this pairing.

We like to think of a Manhattan as the darker, sweeter cousin of the Martini, but we will let you draw your own conclusions. Nevertheless, though not strictly a Martini, the Manhattan is a relative of our gin-based family, and we are happy to have them as guests this month.

History of the Manhattan

Once again, the tale of a cocktail's beginning is inconclusive, but Spirit of York Distillery Co. (link) (a wonderful Canadian company that makes delicious spirits) provides a great survey of the Manhattan's murky origins. Erroneously, it's origins were attributed to a party in New York at a bar called the Manhattan, hosted by Winston Churchill's mom. This has been debunked since, at the time of the cocktails supposed invention, "Lady Randolph Churchill [...] was in England - definitely not partying in New York."

The Manhattan club still claimed ownership, despite another story involving Col. Joe Walker on a yachting trip in New York (completely relatable experience). This story comes from barrypopik.com (which we found through diffordsguide.com). Essentially, they beefed it on ordering enough alcohol for their boat trip and only had whiskey and vermouth. They mixed them, liked them, and christened it the Manhattan. Issue is, this has never been acknowledged by any bar, so it is considered a discounted story.

Another possible genus was noted in the 1923 book "Valentine's Manual of New York". Basically, the cocktail was invented by a man named George Black who lived below Houston street on Broadway in Manhattan. Though also foggy, this story is more plausible and has far better historical sourcing than the yacht story.

The Manhattan has some unclear origins that are still discussed. The best part of this discourse is that while we perform our research and debate the minutiae, we can do so while we enjoy a delicious and elegant Manhattan - truly no one's loss!

How to make it

Infuse

First add the orange zest and rye to a jar and let that sit and infuse for a day. The rye will take on a subtle orange flavor that fits so well with the spice of the rye. As well, add sweet vermouth and Cardamom pods to a jar and let that sit for a day as well. After a day, strain out the solids.

Mix, chill, and serve

Next up is mixing. Add all the ingredients together in a mixing glass with ice, and stir until thoroughly chilled.

Double strain the mixture into a chilled coupe, and garnish with an orange peel.

Enjoy!