The Perfect Manhattan

This is it. This is my favorite drink. This is what I wait for each night. It’s perfect.

The ingredients in this are what matter most. Everyone is different and your taste may not be the same as mine. I choose Four Roses and an Italian brand of vermouth. Those are the very best in my opinion. The Four Roses is delightful without being too astringent. Maker’s Mark is a great substitute.

The quality of the vermouth is critical too. The cheap ones are really sweet - we need sweet, but not too sweet. And not fake sweet. Real sweet.

Then the cherries. Do not use the dyed red maraschino ones. Those are for ice cream sundaes. These need to be the good ones. Luxardo makes an amazing one. Trader Joe’s does a decent one too - and they leave the stems on, which looks fun in the glass.

Last, don’t water down the drink! Chill the glass. Stir with ice at the last second and strain ASAP. You want this drink to be cold but not watery. And don’t let the alcohol sit on the ice. Strain into glasses right away. If you have extra to save for your second drink (or for tomorrow?) Stash it in the fridge, strained, and serve it later.