Portobello Star Manhattan — A perfect Manhattan on overproof rye, dosed in drops rather than dashes

Portobello Star Manhattan

A perfect Manhattan on overproof rye, dosed in drops rather than dashes

Number of people

Ingredients

  • 2 ozOverproof Rye Whiskey
    A hundred proof; the drink is built for that weight
    Substitute: Any straight rye, though it lands softer
  • 12 dropsAbbott's Bitters
    Drops, not dashes
    Substitute: Any Abbott's reconstruction
  • 1/2 ozDry Vermouth
    Half the vermouth, and the half that keeps it dry
  • 1/2 ozSweet Vermouth
    A rich one; the original calls for Carpano Antica

Instructions

  1. Add 2 oz overproof rye, 1/2 oz dry vermouth, 1/2 oz sweet vermouth and 12 drops Abbott's bitters to a mixing glass

    Drops, not dashes

  2. Fill with ice and stir until cold
  3. Fine-strain into a pre-chilled coupe
  4. Garnish with a maraschino cherry on a stick

Technique Notes

Twelve drops, not twelve dashes. A dasher top pours roughly three times what a dropper does in the same motion, and the whole point of specifying drops here is that the bitters is meant to be perceptible without being the loudest thing against a hundred-proof rye.

Why the Portobello Star Manhattan Works

A perfect Manhattan splits the vermouth so neither the dryness nor the sweetness wins, which leaves room for the bitters to be heard. Abbott's is heavier on tonka and vanilla than a modern aromatic, and against hundred-proof rye that reads as depth rather than as sweetness.