The too-good-to-be-true story surrounding this drink’s origins—that it was invented at the Manhattan Club for an event with Winston Churchill’s mother—is just that: a tall tale. There’s still some debate among cocktail historians, but current theories for the original recipe favor either the Manhattan Club (sans Churchill), or a waiter named “Black,” who worked in lower Manhattan in the 1870s. There are other cocktails named for each of New York’s boroughs, but none as popular as the Manhattan.
 | Ingredients: 2 ounces Rittenhouse rye 1 ounce Carpano Antica sweet vermouth 2 dashes Angostura bitters Ice Garnish: Luxardo brandied cherries Directions: Add all ingredients to a mixing glass. Add ice and stir well. Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with brandied cherries on a skewer. |