Rittenhouse Rye is delicious. It is from Kentucky. We made a couple of cocktails with it.
I love this bar whisk I got from
Spoon and Whisk in Clifton Park. I used to just shake everything, until I realized what a smooth, luxurious texture you get from stirring Manhattans and Martinis with ice about 30 times. They don't get frothy, and that smooth texture really adds to the feeling of sophistication when it is consumed. First, I made some Old Fashioneds.
Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add 1 tablespoon simple syrup, 3 dashes Angostura bitters, 1/4 cup Rye, stir 30 times. Add 3 large ice cubes to an old fashioned glass, and rim edge with lemon twist. Throw twist into glass, and strain Rye mixture into glass. Refreshing, classy, delicious!
Manhattan (serves 2):
It is good to chill the glasses before hand. These were in the freezer, and you can tell by how frosty they look. Fill cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add 1/2 Rye, 1/4 cup Sweet Vermouth, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, and stir well. Strain into the chilled cocktail glasses, and garnish each with a maraschino cherry. Classic, and tasty!
Thank you,
Ruth Reichl
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All very yummy sounding. But to do it right, might I recommend the high end maraschino cherries. These are awesome.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Luxardo-Gourmet-Maraschino-Cherries-360g/dp/B001CDOBCM
There are other ideas for the cherries too. Trader Joe's has dried tart cherries that are delightful when soaked in brandy or even maraschino. We keep a jar of them in the fridge for Manhattans and other worthy cocktails.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's a cocktail glass. Martinis are often served in them, yes. But as you noted, so are Manhattans.
Cheers for the silky stirring of your drink. I wholeheartedly agree that the mouthfeel of the cocktail is significantly improved by stirring rather than shaking.
Rye is fantastic stuff.
It's a little pricier, but I was thrilled to see that not only All-Star but the Delaware Liquor store are selling the new Bulleit Rye. A treat.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good idea about alternatives to maraschino cherries! The Clover Club in Brooklyn might have done something similar to that.
ReplyDeleteI think I just thought it was fun to shake cocktails, I didn't realize that it actually makes a difference to stir some things.
(That is true they are actually called cocktail glasses...)
A question for you guys--I routinely go with Sazerac for my rye when I can find it. But of course, it's hard to find it all the time and rye is a rising alcohol. How do you compare Sazerac to the ryes that you drink?
ReplyDeleteI really like Sazerac. It can be a little hard to find around here, but it's a pretty nice sweet spot in terms of price/quality. I think it's worth the extra few bucks more that Rittenhouse although the latter is a great bargain (esp. if you're using it primarily for cocktails.)
ReplyDelete