Well.. there's not much riding going on. I've been re-fitting a bathroom up to Mrs. Rouleur's specs. By the time I'm done the damn thing is going to be too nice to take a crap in. You probably think I'm joking but I'm not, I'll post pictures. Working on trim and whatnot right now, the slow part of the job that takes a week. Spectacular tile job, new plumbing, squaring up crooked old walls as best as possible with sheetrock & mud work, that's all done. And the weather mostly blows and I've been mostly off the bike with still-purple knees. I'll be back on the bike this week. But meanwhile...
I was wondering, what's the ultimate, mainstream whisky cocktail? There's a lot of good ones out there. So I'm going to have a Steel Cage, Lockdown, World Championship Rumble/Deathmatch for the next 5 days. I'm going to pit two whisky cocktails against each other every day and see who comes out on top, other than my internist who will be treating my cirrhosis in a couple years.
Tonight... It's the Manhattan versus the Algonquin.
Those of you who know me know that I love the Manhattan. Somebody told me a while back that it was a granny drink... this is true if your granny is Charles Bukowski's girlfriend.
The Manhattan is a simple drink - two parts whiskey, one part sweet vermouth, a dash of Angostura Bitters, shaken over ice, served with a couple maraschino cherries and a dash of cherry juice. I am partial to it with Maker's Mark if I want it real sweet, or with Rye for a slightly dry-er drink.
I made it with Jim Beam Rye tonight, which is roughly 81% better than standard Jim Beam.
To keep things equal, I made the Algonquin with the same rye, and with the same brand of vermouth.
The Algonquin comprises two parts whiskey (or whisky, your call) to one part dry vermouth, one part pineapple juice, and a cherry can be added for a trace of sweetness.
How'd they do?
Well, if it was a hot day, high humidity, and the Manhattan was made with Makers or some other sweet, heavy bourbon, the Algonquin would have stood a chance. It is a dry drink, not a heavy dry like a martini but light, like champagne, but with a mule's kick. It goes down easy; you could serve this as a mini-shot at a party. Like the denizens of the Round Table at it's namesake, the Algonquin Hotel, it would be a perfect drink for silver-tongued bon vivants, as quick to throw down a cocktail as they are to toss off a bon mot.
Alas, it didn't stand a chance against the heavyweight champ, the Manhattan. Leaned down with a good rye, the Manhattan was sweet but a little astringent, and it packed a hell of a wallop (perhaps because it was the second drink, and I was using a 3 ounce measure from atop my stainless cocktail shaker).
So that didn't take long... Manhattan by a knockout, though I'd recommend keeping the Algonquin handy for a hot day, or for guests preferring a slightly lighter flavored drink.
On Deck:
Rob Roy
Whisky Sour
Sidecar
Plus two drinks that you, the readers, nominate in the next few days. Gotta have whisky or whiskey in them and not be repulsive to me.
8 comments:
Sidecar: Not a whisky drink.
Brandy, Cointreau, Lemon Juice.
Still, it's tops in my book. My "go to" when I need somewhere to go.
Enjoy.
Gus.s
Mix up a Sazerac. It is a good one. The Manhattan is a champ. Best with the rye especially with cask strength booze. It is able to stand up to the sweetness of the vermouth and really opens up with all the ice melt. You're starting to see more high quality rye these day (better than the Beam and Wild Turkey) although those will do. Look for some Mile High or some Thomas Handy.
You can never beat a good Jack and Coke, especially if you use Gentleman Jack.
Also, Jackson 20 in Alexandria has a whiskey drink made with absinthe that is amazing. Even at their prices I couldn't resist a second drink.
Gus - I guess it's a Bourbon Sidecar that I'm talking about.
StevieD - I had a suspicion you or Harmon would suggest a Sazerac. Not sure if I have it in me to do all the fancy shit. Besides, is it really a Sazerac if you're not drinking it in N'awleens?
Stephen - You have a point there, sorta. Jack isn't terrible as whiskey goes, but the problem is I know way too many low end drunks who looooves them some Jack and this has always tainted Jack in my eyes. It bears the same relationship to very low end bourbon, that Southern Comfort does to Jack, it's a gateway drug to a gated community that I don't really want to live in, or at least that's how it functions for a lot of folks. Thanks to being exposed to a lot of high quality British drunks at a young age, I sorta skipped the low end whisky thing. Add onto that the fact that many of my friends who happened to be the most embarassingly stupid drunks were all Jack & Coke guys... it just has a stigma with me. Unfair, but true. So I went straight to bourbon & coke - a lighter tasting drink that isn't as sugary - and stayed there. My preferred drink in undergrad was in fact a handle of cheap bourbon with a 2 liter bottle of caffeine free diet coke... Still I'm interested in overcoming my irrational biases, and you've created a quandary for me. Bourbon & Coke or Jack & Coke? Tough call...
Old Fashioned. Start the debate--muddled or not?
Another vote for the Sazerac. Not really fancy at all. I'll loan you some Peychaud's.
New OR-lins, N'awlins, New Or-LEE-ans, but NEVER EVER New Or-LEENS. Always better in the Crescent City, but nothing wrong with bringing a bit of New Orleans home.
I'll be there tomorrow. Will drink one in your honor.
Christ! For a tough CX monster I'm suprised you're not drinking whisky like the Unholy? Where's the the classic, Whisky and Soda! Or if you must have a mixer, try Whisky and Ginger Ale (both are considered High ball's). I like Ginger Aie vs. Coke. Coke is too sweet for my tastes. I'm drinking Jim Beam Black mostly, Makers is always a winner but if I can get Woodford Reserve, Van Winkles (when I hit the lottery) or Beam Black those are my preferred bourbons.
Scott - Muddled. C'mon, you know me. Why'd you bother asking? Agreed on the N'awlins thing BTW. That was sort of a ScottTroll on my part.
sec77 - Eh. If I'm drinking whiskey proper, I like it straight and lukewarm, and if it's scotch with a wee nip of spring water after I've had the first taste. This is a cocktail shootout, and although I thought about including various types of highball, those aren't really cocktails, they're just whiskey wearing a fucking dress and pretending to be a girl. Seriously - 4 parts water to one part whiskey? WTF? How are you going to get drunk at lunch and commit Hostile Work Environment on that mix? You'd spend half the afternoon in the bathroom pissing.
Oh yeah. I've started tonight's shootout.
TW: prose. Sentence: Goddamn right this blog is prose.
4 parts water?? Jesus C!!?? Who's pouring your drinks, the ETrade baby? I get your point about this being a proper cocktail shootout though, no worries on that end, but you need to drink with me before you throw out a highball...4 parts soda/water that's a travesty! Also, "Whiskey wearing a dress...", and you're mixing in cherry juice? What size off the shoulder gown you're wearing these days cupcake a 19? I'm looking forward to seeing if anything will unseat the ever so masculine Manhattan. All sarcasm aside, I secretly envy that you're comparing the great bourbon/whisky drinks. Oh and although I too normally hate blended whisky's if you haven't tried Compass Box Hedonism, give it a shot, I was pleasently surprised. Good luck and I wish you plenty of aspirin.
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