Message 8812 of 22774 in Behind the Bar

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> Hi, I am a new bartender, and have seen several different versions of 
> a Manhattan.  I've seen a recipe for a "traditional" manhattan, where 
> you muddle the cherry and bitters,  a regular manhattan where the 
> recipe just consists of sweet vermouth and whiskey, no bitters.  And 
> still others where the recipe calls for a dash of bitters added to 
> the whiskey and sweet vermouth.  I've also seen extreme variations in 
> the amount of vermouth used, anywhere from a "dash" to an ounce of 
> vermouth.  Ok, so I'm confused...
> 
> So my question is, if a customer orders a manhattan, what would be 
> the correct recipe to make?  or is it dictated by region, bartenders' 
> preference, or what?
> 
> Terry in San Antonio, TX

First I'm going to concur 100% with Dom Costa, that's exactly how I would pour 
a Manhattan.  Books that I trust tend to lean towards a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of 
whiskey to vermouth, I lighten up on the vermouth if it's a pretty smooth 
bourbon (e.g. Maker's Mark, Knob Creek).  

Gotta put the bitters in (unless told otherwise), it isn't a Manhattan without 
it.  A lot of bartender just don't know any better.

Muddled fruit/cherry?  Never heard of that, sounds like someone is confusing 
this with an old-fashioned (which is a similiar drink).  

I would default to stirred and up in a martini glass, on the rocks by request. 
 Look up Manhattan in any photo cocktail book and you'll see it in a stemmed 
cocktail glass.  It's essentially the whiskey cousin of the martini.