The drink originated at the Manhattan Club in New
York City in the early 1870s, where it was invented by Dr. Lain Marshall for a
banquet hosted by Jennie Jerome, Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston
Churchill in honor of presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden.
Like many pre-Prohibition cocktails, the
Manhattan is supposed to be made with rye whiskey. Thanks to modern interest in
“them old-timey ways,” it often is nowadays. Often, but not always. The trick to a good Manhattan is basic
Manhattan recipe as a baseline: two ounces of bourbon whiskey, one ounce of sweet
vermouth, two or three dashes of bitters, a slice of orange zest, and a
cocktail cherry. Once you get
your balance of the ingredients down to yield the taste you are looking for,
then you can begin to experiment with the different rums to create your
favorite Rum Manhattan.
There are a number of good candidates for
making a really good Rum Manhattan, Doorly’s XO, Mount Gay Black Barrel, Seven
Fathoms, Flor de Cana Seven Year, and many other rums that have strong bourbon
notes. Rum adds a little bit of
sweetness on the front of the palate that bourbon does not, giving the Rum
Manhattan more palate feel than bourbon or other whiskeys do. The decision as to which one works for your Rum
Manhattan is up to you and your taste buds.
If you want to develop your own
signature Rum Manhattan and needs a sweeter or softer base, then
choose a sweeter rum like Zaya or Diplomatico for your base, likewise a standard
younger expression for a dryer result.
The decision is yours, giving your signature Rum Manhattan a taste that
is as unique as you are. I prefer a dry
vermouth rather than a sweet one when using rum to counter a little of the
sweetness of the rum.
Bahama
Bob’s Rum Manhattan- 2 0z. Good Aged Dark Rum to fit your taste
- 1 oz. Dolin’s Dry Vermouth
- 3 Dashes of Angostura Bitters
- 1 Orange Zest
- 1 Cocktail Cherry
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