Sometimes it startles me how lost I was in drinking before I found the Manhattan. It is such a quintessential part of drinking in the United States. I know that I'd heard about it many times - maybe it's my contrarian nature, maybe it's the fact that when you're in college, anything more complicated than a screwdriver or a whiskey sour (using sour mix) is out of the question.
Anyway, as I've delved into Manhattans, I've found a few fantastic variations along the way. Tonight's cocktail is one of the many drinks in the fashion of the old standby.
The Preakness (Or The Bull Manhattan)
A couple ounces Bourbon
Around an ounce of Sweet Vermouth
A pour or two of Benedictine (or B&B if it's what you have)
A dash of bitters
Stir and serve in a manly-ass glass.
This will not overwhelm you with fine taste, surprise you with unexpected depth, or disappoint you by skipping the alcoholic punch. It's a straightforward bourbon drink, and it will taste similar to a Manhattan. Personally, I prefer it without the bitters, and with a heavy helping of B&B, but if you put too much in, you run the risk of creating a new bourbon-brandy cocktail, and not really following the flavor of the Manhattan.
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