Playing With Manhattan Vermouth Ratios
Is a "perfect" Manhattan actually perfect?
As I’ve discussed, the “classic” Manhattan ratio is half as much sweet vermouth as rye whiskey. If you order one at a bar, that’s what you get. It’s what I made 2 weeks ago to better decide my likely house rye. It’s a good drink.
And then there’s the “perfect” Manhattan, which splits the sweet vermouth equally with dry. I cannot find any reason why this equal split is called “perfect,” and it’s not really used anywhere else. It’s also a good drink. Some might even say it’s perfect. Let’s put that to the test.
Comparing Manhattans by Dry Vermouth Inclusion Percent
A quick note: each of these was made exactly the same except for the vermouth ratios. Same amount of the same rye, 1 dash of Angostura bitters, and garnished with the same cocktail cherry. And another reminder, as seen in the photo above, the vermouths in question are Martini Extra Dry and Carpano Antica Formula.
0% Dry Vermouth - The “Classic” Manhattan
A reminder on my tasting notes for this one:
It’s sweet, but not cloying. It’s spicy but not scalding. It’s herbaceous but not a garden. You know the base is whisky because you taste the wood, but it gives way to a nice blend of other flavors on the finish. If you get any single flavor clearly, it’s probably strawberry. It’s good, but it’s not necessarily exciting and as it dilutes it gets a bit boring. Is there such a thing as too balanced?
25% Dry Vermouth
The biggest change you notice with just a splash of dry vermouth in the mix is that some of the wood starts to take a back seat to the spice. Taking out more sweetness helps some of those lighter spicy notes shine through, and that continues to the finish where the citrus jumps out. Overall, less red fruit and wood in favor of spice and zest here.
50% Dry Vermouth - The “Perfect” Manhattan
The perfect ratio is exceptionally balanced, and in that it may share some of the issue with the classic variation. The fruit and spice are in real harmony here, but they completely crowd out the wood. It’s a very dry drink, and starts drinking almost more like a martini. Not a bad thing, but maybe not what you want from a Manhattan.
75% Dry Vermouth
At this point, it’s definitely more Martini than Old Fashioned. There’s no real fruit to pick up, and there’s no sugar. It’s maybe a bit brighter than drinking the rye on its own, but overall the flavor here is completely controlled by the whiskey without much balancing it.
The Winner Moving Forward: 25% Dry Vermouth
That’s the template that I’ll begin modifying with different bitters. If I could find a way to bring a bit more red fruit back in it, that’s really what I’m hoping for…