Binny's Blog

We love a good tasting experiment on Barrel to Bottle, so this week we're making Manhattans. A lot of Manhattans. So many Manhattans that we can't keep track of how many we're making. We tried 21 different bitters to see which one makes the best Manhattan.

A holiday bonus from our resident mixologist: two cocktail recipes this week. The Saratoga is a pre-Prohibition classic that's a cross between the Manhattan and the Metropolitan. The Laird's A-Leaping is a riff that uses Laird's Apple Brandy.

The Fanciulli and Black Manhattan are bitter, amaro centric rivals for the ultimate Manhattan cocktail recipe. In the former, Fernet Branca, in the later Averna stands in for sweet vermouth in these great Bourbon or Rye Whiskey based drinks.

We aren’t talking about “the” perfect Manhattan, some might argue that the incredibly popular sweet Manhattan already holds that title, but “a” Perfect Manhattan. A variation on the theme that has the maker replace half of the Sweet Vermouth with Dry Vermouth. This perfect 1:1 ratio of Vermouths is the origin of the name.

Thirsty for a New Orleans classic? How about one that’s named in honor of the French Quarter – the Vieux Carré. You can think of it as an “improved Manhattan”.

What's not to love about this classic cocktail? We love ours with a heavy pour of rye, but you can mix it up with different types of whiskies. With our massive selection you can easily customize this classic cocktail to your own tastes.

This story is everybody's favorite. When whiskey meets cherry bitters, this original Manhattan becomes extraordinary. The cherry bitters gives it an extra bit of sweetness. Mix one up for that special someone, even if that special someone is you.