Message 8831 of 22774 in Behind the Bar

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> I'm suprised to see that the international version calls for Canadian 
> whiskey, I was allways taught that it had to be straight bourbon or 
> straight rye whiskey! On everything else I concur, I thought the 
> introduction of Canadian whiskey was as a result of prohibition, not 
> a standard for the origional recipe.

The Manhattan is no doubt an American classic cocktail. Originally it was made 
with Rye. However during prohibition the production of rye whisky was stopped 
so people were forced to replace it with Canadian Whisky.

After prohibition Rye was still not available due to the stoppage of many or 
all of the distilleries. However in the hills of Kentucky Bourbon was being 
made. So the choice then became Bourbon or Canadian Whisky. Rye to this day 
has yet to catch back up in popularity, although it has recently seen some 
insurgence. Some people stuck with Canadian Whisky (mostly up north) and some 
people switched to Bourbon (mostly down south). 

You do have to be careful with Canadian Whisky because unlike in the US there 
are not laws governing the percentages of rye, corn, wheat, and barley. A Rye 
whisky is at least 51% made from rye. In Canada they have no such restrictions.

All three (Bourbon, Rye, Canadian Whisky) have their distinct characteristics 
and I feel that it is really up to personal preference. But to really decide 
for your self I would do a blind taste test with all three.

Drink and serve what you like...

Cheers!

-- 
...the bar mix master has spoken.

http://www.barmixmaster.com