shellylh Posted September 29, 2011 Report Posted September 29, 2011 Joining the Rittenhouse Manhattan crowd (with Cocci Torino sweet vermouth and a dash of cherry bitters).
The Monkey Posted September 29, 2011 Report Posted September 29, 2011 that bottle was gone in something like three days, so yes. This
Absorbine_Sr Posted September 29, 2011 Report Posted September 29, 2011 Started the night with non-Rittenhouse Manhattans (nonhattans?) because I'm saving it. So Bulleit rye instead. Then onto Redbreast 12 washed down with FFF Bruce. Buzzed? um, yep. Happily.
morphsci Posted September 29, 2011 Author Report Posted September 29, 2011 A NaaManhattan. I'm such a sheep. The key to a great Manhattan IMO is using an excellent Vermouth like Carpano Antica or Cocchi Vermouth di Torino and finding a bitter that works for you. I can highly recommend the Bittercubes cherrybark-vanilla.
luvdunhill Posted September 29, 2011 Report Posted September 29, 2011 That pic makes me sad, Shelly, as I sit eating a re-heated bowl of the same pasta I had re-heated last night. Nicely done, Chef Shelly! To advance science and help out Marc, I have been conducting Margarita Mixing Experiments tonight, ably assisted by Claire. Given the recent addition of Mandarin Napoleon into our Liqueur Lexicon, Marc was wondering how it fared in 1-1-1 Margaritas. I decided it was best to do a comparison, so I chose the obvious, Cointreau, plus Clement Creole Shrubb. The first round was made with equal parts of Fortaleza Reposado, fresh lime, and each of the three liqueurs. Claire and I agreed that the Cointreau was the easiest to eliminate. It was the most bland, but probably the most tart if you like that kind of thing. The Creole Shrubb is excellent and flavorful with a bit of sweetness. The Napoleon was very flavorful but I think there was a weird interaction with the tequila. I tasted it as an herbal edge but Claire thought it was more of a rind or oil kind of thing. Either way, it was interesting but not my favorite. Next, I thought that the blanco might be worth trying so I made a couple of small ones with the Shrubb and the Napoleon. The differences were smaller, but the same overtones were there. I think that the blanco meshed better with the Napoleon, but the next Margarita I make will be with the Shrubb regardless of the tequila. That said, the Napoleon has worked very well in the other cocktails I have made and is very tasty on its own. Thanks Al! So, is the Napoleon more a triple sec or a curaçao or just another class?
shellylh Posted September 29, 2011 Report Posted September 29, 2011 The key to a great Manhattan IMO is using an excellent Vermouth like Carpano Antica or Cocchi Vermouth di Torino and finding a bitter that works for you. I can highly recommend the Bittercubes cherrybark-vanilla. Agreed completely. The vermouth is really a key component. Carpano Antica and Cocchi Torino really shine in this drink. Want (the Bittercubes cherrybark-vanilla bitters)!
luvdunhill Posted September 29, 2011 Report Posted September 29, 2011 The vermouth is more important than the whiskey. Really. In fact I will prove it tonite.
shellylh Posted September 29, 2011 Report Posted September 29, 2011 The vermouth is more important than the whiskey. Really. In fact I will prove it tonite. Unless you decide to use Panther Piss for the whiskey.
morphsci Posted September 29, 2011 Author Report Posted September 29, 2011 Unless you decide to use Panther Piss for the whiskey. Indeed. That is the plan. In that case I would definitely reverse the proportions of rye and vermouth. No, strike that, I would eliminate the rye altogether.
shellylh Posted September 29, 2011 Report Posted September 29, 2011 In that case I would definitely reverse the proportions of rye and vermouth. No, strike that, I would eliminate the rye altogether. Hehe. Red Birds win, Braves lose!!!
luvdunhill Posted September 29, 2011 Report Posted September 29, 2011 So, well... I'm a bit surprised. It's bland. Somehow the rye subtracted flavor from the vermouth. It doesnt taste bad, it just doesn't taste. I also used a lot of cherry bitters. It's like the Coors of Manhattans.
shellylh Posted September 29, 2011 Report Posted September 29, 2011 It's like the Coors of Manhattans. That doesn't sound very promising.
bhjazz Posted September 29, 2011 Report Posted September 29, 2011 Claire and I agreed that the Cointreau was the easiest to eliminate. It was the most bland, but probably the most tart if you like that kind of thing. The Creole Shrubb is excellent and flavorful with a bit of sweetness. The Napoleon was very flavorful but I think there was a weird interaction with the tequila. I tasted it as an herbal edge but Claire thought it was more of a rind or oil kind of thing. Either way, it was interesting but not my favorite. Next, I thought that the blanco might be worth trying so I made a couple of small ones with the Shrubb and the Napoleon. The differences were smaller, but the same overtones were there. I think that the blanco meshed better with the Napoleon, but the next Margarita I make will be with the Shrubb regardless of the tequila. That said, the Napoleon has worked very well in the other cocktails I have made and is very tasty on its own. WAT? I guess I'm a bitch for Cointreau. Love that tart. I'll have to see if I can find the Creole Shrubb up here somewhere.
Voltron Posted September 29, 2011 Report Posted September 29, 2011 (edited) Panther Piss sucks all flavor from the world. Except for piss flavor, that is. Nothing right now, but we started with champagne cocktails and then different wine pairings with four different courses as Claire and I had dinner to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary (and 25th anniversary of being together). From the various pics and comments above, for some reason a martini sounds really good right now. I don't think I will have one, but who knows... Oh, and it was a crazy day in wild card baseball. Congrat to the Cards and jesus fucking christ to the Red Sox for choking while the Rays held on to win in extras. Edited September 29, 2011 by Voltron
Augsburger Posted September 29, 2011 Report Posted September 29, 2011 (edited) Panther Piss sucks all flavor from the world. Except for piss flavor, that is. Nothing right now, but we started with champagne cocktails and then different wine pairings with four different courses as Claire and I had dinner to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary (and 25th anniversary of being together). From the various pics and comments above, for some reason a martini sounds really good right now. I don't think I will have one, but who knows... Oh, and it was a crazy day in wild card baseball. Congrat to the Cards and jesus fucking christ to the Red Sox for choking while the Rays held on to win in extras. Pics and details or we shall talk about you when you are at RMAF. Congrats on the 20th to Claire......................for putting up with you all those years. Twenty and twentyfive are a great testament to marital commitment and hard work, we just celebrated our twentieth last December. Perhaps tomorrow you need to post a twentieth anniversary manhattan cocktail receipe? Edited September 30, 2011 by Augsburger
naamanf Posted September 30, 2011 Report Posted September 30, 2011 Had another go at the Manhattan. This time with Bulleit, Noilly Prat, and cherry bitters. Much better, I think what made the difference was changing up the bitters.
Augsburger Posted September 30, 2011 Report Posted September 30, 2011 Moar Kistler Chardonnay, much better today. 1
morphsci Posted September 30, 2011 Author Report Posted September 30, 2011 (edited) In that case I would definitely reverse the proportions of rye and vermouth. No, strike that, I would eliminate the rye altogether. So, well... I'm a bit surprised. It's bland. Somehow the rye subtracted flavor from the vermouth. It doesnt taste bad, it just doesn't taste. I also used a lot of cherry bitters. It's like the Coors of Manhattans. And you thought I was joking. Happy 20/25th Al and Claire Edited September 30, 2011 by morphsci
shellylh Posted September 30, 2011 Report Posted September 30, 2011 Had another go at the Manhattan. This time with Bulleit, Noilly Prat, and cherry bitters. Much better, I think what made the difference was changing up the bitters. Cherry bitters are good. Don't you have some Vya sweet vermouth? That would be better than the Noilly Prat IMO.
Recommended Posts