What's in a name? That which we call a rose

The Monkey Gland is a most unfortunately named cocktail. Frankly it bothers me more than just a little that I like this cocktail as much as I do.

I don't know if there is another drink that I like that has a name with such an "Ick!" factor. I suppose that this is one of those "a Rose by any other name would smell as sweet" things.

I like Manhattans - the name sounds like a sophisticated cocktail from a sophisticated city - I can imagine drinking them at a cocktail party in a Manhattan Loft with Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond playing a soft version of Take Five in the background - not on a cd or vinyl - the two of them together again - I know Desmond is dead, but I saw him playing with Brubeck once; front row, center. Amazing - pretty vivid imagination in play here don't you think, but I really was front row, center.

A Sazerac conjures up images of a smoky joint in New Orlean's or bottles of Rye Whiskey, Absinthe and Peychaud's Bitters. Max Rebennack; Dr. John the Night Tripper playing "Right Place, Wrong Time"

Martinis make me think of riding the Green Tortoise to San Francisco - My cousin Mark picked me up - several hours late and I was irritated . We stopped and had a pint of Anchor Steam with a couple of Martini backs to calm me down. It was some funky place that served barbecue turkey legs. I guess I should have some Grateful Dead song rolling as I write this bit, but frankly I'm drawing a blank - Truckin' doesn't really seem like appropriate martini music - but then again, barbecue turkey legs don't seem like the kind of finger food that would go with martinis either. Canapes and Julie London would be more like it.

I don't have any positive imagery with the Monkey Gland cocktail. Somehow what comes to mind is a doctor doing physicals on a bunch of naked guys lined up at the old military induction center near SW 5th and Taylor in my aborted attempt to join the Navy in 1972 - maybe Country Joe McDonald got through to me. Sorry, it's not a pretty picture - more "Ick Factor"

Maybe there is hope though as noted below it was also known as the McCormick - which somehow reminds me more of little tins of herbs at the grocery store. Then again, the story also includes the real origin behind the name of the cocktail.

From the Washington Post – Washington, D.C., Apr 29, 1923:

“Preparing for a busy tourist season, Frank, the noted concocter behind the bar of the Ritz, has devised a new series of powerful cocktails, the favorite of which is known as the “monkey gland”, or , as it is popularly called, the “McCormick.”
Like Frank’s “poixxito quinte” [?] gloomer raiser, the monkey gland requires absinthe to be perfect, but its amateurs have found anise a substitute with a sufficient kick.
For the benefit of friends over in America who have not exhausted their cellars, here is the recipe: half and half gin and orange juice, a dash of absinthe, and a dash of raspberry or other sweet juice. Mix well with ice and serve only with a doctor handy. Inside half an hour the other day Frank purveyed forty of these, to the exclusion of Manhattans and Martinis.”

 Monkey Gland or McCormick

1 1/2 oz. London dry gin  (I use Cascade Mountain Gin)
1 1/2 oz. orange juice
1 tsp. grenadine - make your own - it's so much better
1/2 tsp. Absinthe

Stir with cracked ice and strain.

Life is just a Bowl of Cherries

In hindsight I probably should have called this Blog "House of Rye" or the "Manhattan Project" because I drink much more rye than bourbon these days and most of that rye is consumed in the form of Manhattans.

One of my earlier posts, Garnish with a Cherry, dealt with recipes for Manhattans. Since a Manhattan consists of only four ingredients, whiskey, vermouth, bitters and a cherry or two, it shouldn't be that hard to reach nirvana.

Whiskey in the form of Rye is my preferred poison in a Manhattan. Some folks use Bourbon in a Manhattan, but I find they make the cocktail too sweet. I most often choose Wild Turkey 101. It has a nice spicy rye bite and the high proof gives it some kick. It's a bargain to boot at $22 for a 750ml bottle. I usually have a few other bottles of Rye in the house as well. Currently I've got Jim Beam, Rittenhouse, Russell's Reserve and the ubiquitous WT 101 ryes on hand. There are other high end ryes out there that I cast a covetous eye on when I hit the local liquor shop, but basically I'm a cheap bastard and unwilling to pay price they command. With liquor as with many other things in life, a doubling of price doesn't extend in to a doubling of enjoyment or quality. That being said I'd gladly accept a gift or donation of a bottle of Black Maple Hill for the purposes of research.

Sweet Vermouth is the second component in a Manhattan. There are a couple of vermouths that are widely available in Oregon; Noily Prat and Martini & Rossi. Of the two I prefer Martini and Rossi. It's a bit fruitier and complex in my opinion and better compliments the rye. For folks with a fatter purse there are some additional choices to consider including Carpano Antica, Punt e Mas or the domestically produced Vya.

The third ingredient in a Manhattan is bitters. A couple of dashes of bitters changes the whole complexion of cocktail. For years the only bitter's choices available were Angostura and Peychaud. Angostura are the bitters of choice for an everyday Manhattan. Angostura now has an orange bitter available too and it make an interesting variation with it's strong orange aromas. Bitter's: both homemade and commercial are becoming much more widely available and are worth of posts of there own.

Last and certainly not least is the cherry. Many people are put off by dayglo maraschino cherries. One can hardly blame them. The maraschino on the grocery store shelf is a shadow of the original liquor soaked wild maraska cherries that were the original Maraschino Cherry. Maraschino. Luxardo, an Italian Liquor producer makes a high quality candied cherry that is pretty good, but it wasn't what I was looking for in the ultimate cherry for a Manhattan. While it's much better than the dayglo variety, it didn't quite cut it.

What's a guy to do? Life wasn't a bowl of cherries. I needed the perfect cherry to reach my Manhattan Nirvana.

Time to search the internet, because you can find anything on the internet can't you? Most of the recipes I found called for putting cherries in a jar, adding sugar and covering them with brandy. This produces brandied cherries; tasty, but not a Maraschino Cherry. After searching further and not finding anything that really looked like it would make me happy, I decided it was time to experiment.

Call it beginner's luck, karma, kismet or whatever, the first batch of cherries I made were spectacular. Now known by the few who have had the privilege of tasting them as "The Chcrries". The Cherries were everything I wanted. They are tasty, not too sweet, have complex flavors. They are the treat at the bottom of the glass. Indulge, use two! A half gallon of them, I'm rich! Those things will last me a year for sure. Share the wealth and give a few away, because there's a half gallon of them, I'll never run out.

Okay, I ran out. What's a guy to do? I thought why not try infusing some frozen or canned cherries. So I got a pound of frozen cherries at Trader Joe's and made the following recipe.

Housemade Maraschino Cherries - Using Frozen Cherries

The advantage of this recipe is that it can be made year round. The frozen cherries seem to absorb the alcohol and sugar much more quickly than the fresh cherries and the process only takes a week.

• 1lb of Frozen Sweet Cherries
• 2/3 C evaporated cane sugar
• 1/2 C Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• 1/2 C Clear Creek Kirschwasser

1. Put the cherries in an empty one quart canning jar with all of the rest of the ingredients.
2. Give the jar an occasional gentle shake.
3. When the sugar is dissolved put the cherries in the refrigerator and let them age a week before using.

This makes just under a quart of damn good cherries, not "The Cherries", but damn good. These are not inexpensive to make, but they'll last a long time, not as long as you think, but a long time.

A special shout out to Cat for kicking me in the ass and getting me to write a post.

Thanks Cat!

Garnish With A Cherry

A few years ago I picked up a copy of "Villas at Table" at Multnomah County Library's used bookstore; Title Wave Used Bookstore. The book is a collection of Mr. Villas' essays on food and drink.

Most of the essays are entertaining and educational and frankly forgettable. They're articles about restaurants, visits to France, wines of some obscure region or a recipe for Glockenspiels with Horseradish Sauce. You know the type. The article that keeps you interested while you're waiting to be called at the doctor's office. The story you can put down 95% of the way through and not care if you finish it or not. I like books like this, they're kind of like Reader's Digest, good to have when you need a quick read at bedtime or while you're taking care of business.

This book would probably have been donated back to the library system for them to sell again if an unpublished essay called "A Few Choice Words About the Manhattan" hadn't grabbed my attention. The essay outlines Mr. Villas's introduction, at age twelve, to the Manhattan by his father. It continues on with his pursuit of Manhattans in Manhattan prior to the current cocktail renaissance (the book was published in 1988 and doesn't say when the essay was written). One of his biggest obstacles was that during the time period the essay was written many establishments had eschewed the glowing red maraschino cherry in favor of a lemon or orange twist. Mr. Villas took to carrying his own bottle of the bright red gems in order to satisfy his habit.

Villas the Elder's Manhattan
2.5 oz Blended American Whiskey (I'm guessing I used Elijah Craig 12 y.o. Bourbon)
1 oz of Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth
"less than a dash" Angostura Bitters
and a maraschino cherry
Served strained into a 4 oz stemmed cocktail glass

Inspired by fervor of Mr. Villas, I bought a bottle each of marachino cherries, Angostura Bitters and Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth. I don't know what bourbon was in the house when I made that first Manhattan, but I was hooked. Many bottles of bourbon, vermouth and cherries have passed through the doors of my house since I read this article.

James Villas's Perfect Bourbon Manhattan (In his words: "and by "Perfect" I'm by no means referring to the abomination by that name that includes a shot of dry vermouth")
2.5 oz Bonded Whiskey (Bottled in Bond Bourbon is 100 proof)
1.5 oz Cinzano Sweet Vermouth
"a quick dash" Angostura Bitters
A Big Fat maraschino cherry
Served strained into a chilled 6 oz stemmed cocktail glass

Something about the Big Fat Maraschino Cherry has never sat quite right with me. According to the article the Manhattan was invented around 1890 by Supreme Court Judge Charles Henry Truax when he was president of New York's Manhattan Club. The Maraschino as we know it today was invented by an Oregon State University professor named Ernest H. Wiegand. The original Maraschino cherries were made by soaking small sour wild black Maraska cherries, from what is now Croatia, in Maraschino Liqueur. These original cherries were a luxury item and getting one as a garnish was a real treat. I'll deal with my pursuit of the ideal cocktail cherry in a future installment.

Mr. Villas was kind enough to include Judge Truax's recipe for Manhattans in the book. It includes more sweet vermouth than what is common in most of today's recipes. A lot of the older cocktails include a higher proportion of sweet modifiers and I suppose that was a reflection of the tastes of the day.

Judge Truax's Original 1890 Manhattan Club Cocktail
2 oz Rye (or bourbon)
1 oz Sweet Italian Vermouth
A dash of Angostura Bitters
Garnish with a stemmed Maraschino Cherry

One of the really good things about the essay was the fact that there were multiple recipes, using different ratios of whiskey to vermouth, different whiskeys and vermouths. Obviously this is a cocktail that can be customized and tweaked to suit your preferences. This is the kind of research I can get behind.

After making my original Manhattans with a variety of bourbons I noticed that the original recipe called for rye. Hmmm....rye? I headed off to Rose City Liquor and was gratified to see that rye was readily affordable and came in a handy multiple choice selection. The rye I came home with that day, Wild Turkey Rye 101, has pretty much become my house pour for Manhattans ever since.

The Manhattan I'm Drinking Now
2.5 oz Wild Turkey Rye 101
1.0 oz Noilly Prat Sweet Vermouth
2 big dashes of Angostura Bitters
1 housemade cherry

For further reading on Manhattans see This Article by Gary Regan

House of Bourbon's take on the Imbibers One Hundred or Make Mine a Manhattan

Darcy O'Neil at Art of the Drink started this last month. It's showed up on many other blogs since then. Art of the Drink is definitely one of my Top Ten Cocktail Blogs. Darcy posts recipes for cocktails and ingredients. He's putting up quality content and he's been doing it for several years.

The drinks I've had are in Bold. I've hyperlinked to descriptions of the beverages I haven't had. So I'm 86/100. Some of the beverages could probably be had locally without too much effort. Fermented Mongolian Mare's Milk (Airag) is probably beyond my reach.

Some of the drinks on the list defy belief. Budweiser? White Zin? Two Buck Chuck? I'd rather see more obscure beverages or ingredients like a Bourbon barrel aged beer, Rose Champagne, Falernum, Pimento Dram, Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray Soda and the like.

List of Drinks You Must Try Before You Expire

1. Manhattan Cocktail
2. Kopi Luwak (Weasle Coffee) actually it's Civet Coffee
   
3. French / Swiss Absinthe
4. Rootbeer
5. Gin Martini
6. Sauternes
7. Whole Milk
8. Tequila (100% Agave)
9. XO Cognac
10. Espresso
11. Spring Water (directly from the spring)
12. Gin & Tonic
13. Mead
14. Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap) Trappist Ale
15. Chateau d’Yquem
16. Budweiser
17. Maraschino Liqueur
18. Mojito
    
19. Orgeat
20. Grand Marnier
    
21. Mai Tai
22. Ice Wine (Canadian)
23. Red Bull
24. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
25. Bubble Tea
    
26. Tokaji
27. Chicory
28. Islay Scotch
29. Pusser’s Navy Rum
30. Fernet Branca
31. Fresh Pressed Apple Cider
32. Bourbon
33. Australian Shiraz
34. Buckley’s Cough Syrup
35. Orange Bitters
36. Margarita (classic recipe)
37. Molasses & Milk
38. Chimay Blue
39. Wine of Pines (Tepache)
40. Green Tea
41. Daiginjo Sake
42. Chai Tea
43. Vodka (chilled, straight)
44. Coca-Cola
45. Zombie (Beachcomber recipe)
46. Barley Wine
47. Brewed Chocolate (Xocolatl)
48. Pisco Sour
49. Lemonade
50. Speyside Single Malt
51. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
52. Champagne (Vintage)
53. Rosé (French)
54. Bellini
55. Caipirinha
56. White Zinfandel (Blush)
57. Coconut Water
58. Cerveza
59. Cafe au Lait
60. Ice Tea
61. Pedro Ximenez Sherry
62. Vintage Port
63. Hot Chocolate
64. German Riesling
65. Pina Colada
66. El Dorado 15 Year Rum
67. Chartreuse
68. Greek Wine
69. Negroni
70. Jägermeister
71. Chicha
72. Guiness
73. Rhum Agricole
74. Palm Wine
75. Soju
76. Ceylon Tea (High Grown)
77. Belgian Lambic
78. Mongolian Airag also know as Kumis
79. Doogh, Lassi or Ayran
80. Sugarcane Juice
81. Ramos Gin Fizz
    
82. Singapore Sling
83. Mint Julep
84. Old Fashioned
85. Perique
    
86. Jenever (Holland Gin)
87. Chocolate Milkshake
88. Traditional Italian Barolo
89. Pulque
90. Natural Sparkling Water
91. Cuban Rum - I've had Matusalem "Cuba Style" Rum - Damn Embargo
92. Asti Spumante
93. Irish Whiskey
94. Château Margaux
95. Two Buck Chuck
96. Screech
97. Akvavit
98. Rye Whisky
99. German Weissbier
100. Daiquiri (classic)

The Cocktail of choice at my house is often a Manhattan, so I thought it was appropriate that it was number one on the Imbiber's 100 list. I even gave some thought to calling this blog "The Manhattan Project" but thought it would be too limiting.

One of the things that is so appealing about Manhattans are the possibilities: What kind of Rye or Bourbon? Which vermouth? Martini & Rossi, Noilly Prat or perhaps the one of the higher end choices like Punt E Mas or Vya? If that's not enough variables the serious Cocktailian is faced with and ever increasing selection of bitters, both commercial or housemade.

Here's the version of the Manhattan that I'm currently drinking.

2 oz Wild Turkey Rye 101
3/4 oz Noilly Prat Sweet Vermouth
2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters or Angostura Orange Bitters
1 Housemade Marashino Cherry and a few drops of the juice

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Edited to add on January 2, 2009: Several folks who responded to Darcy O'Neil's original Post had suggestions of items that are missing.

101. Clamato Juice
102. Original Nyquil
103. Malzbier
104. Sanbitter
105. Ting
106. J. Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum
107. Poteen or Moonshine or White Dog
108. Batavia Arrack
109. Elderflower Liqueur