Message 17783 of 39188 in General Discussion

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Jeez!
I turn my back for 2 weeks and this joint turns into Lord Of the Flies....
Robert, Beans?  I count on youse guys!

But seriously:

For me, the Manhattan is the Rorshach test for a bar/bartender.  

The product you get will tell you alot about the bartender, and by extension, 
the bar.  If it's shaken; that tells you one thing.  If bitters are alien; 
that tells you another thing.  If the Vermouth is treated as an afterthought, 
that tells you another set of things.  When they toss in some "cherry" juice 
or Grenadine, that feeds you yet another set of clues.

I know, you might have to be a "Cocktail Sociologist" to see the subtle 
cultural/regional/professional differences in  all of these encoded 
transactions, but,...there it is.
That said: 

I give you this:
Robert's Rorshach test is the Old Fashioned.
  
(I agree, to a point.  You can definitely tell alot about a Bartender in the 
way he/she handles this request, but the OF's checkered history allows a lot 
of leeway, if not License.  There's a lot of ways to "correctly" make this 
drink, depending on which tradion you adhere to.  Which is also why it is, 
ironically, an effective Shibbileth.  It details more of a Genealogy rather 
than a "School" of bartending, though.  A distinction without much of a 
difference, I admit, when all is said and done)

So we're in New Orleans in a well known, un-named joint and the bartender is 
one of those gruff-ish older Gents who'd rather throw you out than serve a 
Surfer-on-Nazi-Acid or some other dumb drink. 
But he could also be one of those guys who might serve up a piss-poor Sazerac 
'cuz all he does is toil for tourists day-in, day-out.  If you don't know the 
difference, why should he, right?

So Robert asks for an Old Fashioned.  

Paul, (the Bartender) responds with: "Where are you from?
This seemed kinda weird, almost as if some line had been crossed, that 
tourists weren't allowed to....
I didn't know just what.

Paul picked up on the growing "What the Fu..?" and pointed out, that from his 
experience, people from the South liked more citrus/lemon while folks from the 
mid-west preferred more sugar and sweetness.
  
Like an ER doctor, he was simply taking a thorough family history from his 
patient.  

And the drink... was... GOOD!

So sometimes it's not enough to know how to make a drink properly--it also has 
to be tailored to your audience.

So, back to the Manhattan:

Please dont shake it:  Stir, stir, stir it up.  Really stir it.
Mediocre Rye is ofttimes preferable to a lot of great Bourbons
Candian whisky is NOT rye, It's not even mediocre Rye.
Vermouth is like a torrid affair: There's no room for shyness, but always be 
discreet!
Angostura is a MUST
Luxardo: if you have it, let me know.  I may want some
Keep the Cherry, unless you made it.  I'll have a twist instead, and it may be 
Orange

And don't just haphazardly knock this one off.  I just ordered the Great 
Exalted Leader in all of Cocktaildom.  If you can't give it some attention, at 
least give it your respect.

Myera