The Perfect Manhattan uses both vermouths at once — a half-measure of sweet and a half-measure of dry. 'Perfect' here is a bartender's term of art: it means a drink split evenly between the two vermouths, not a claim of superiority.
Perfect, in a bar, has a precise and modest meaning: half sweet, half dry.
What 'Perfect' Means
In classic bartending, a drink is 'perfect' when it takes equal parts sweet and dry vermouth. It is one of the oldest pieces of cocktail shorthand, older than the Manhattan's modern revival, and it applies equally to the Martini.
The Middle Path
The Perfect Manhattan sits between its sweet and dry siblings. It keeps some of the original's roundness while gaining the dry version's brightness — a drink for anyone who finds the standard Manhattan a touch sweet and the Dry Manhattan a touch severe.
Garnish to Match
Because it straddles sweet and dry, the Perfect Manhattan takes either garnish — a cherry, a lemon twist, or, traditionally, both. A few dashes of orange bitters alongside the Angostura suit its balanced character.
The Manhattan Family
The 1880s original — rye or bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters, stirred and served up.
- 2 ozRye whiskey
- 1 ozSweet vermouth
- 2 dashesAngostura bitters
Blended Scotch for the rye — a Manhattan with gentle malt sweetness and soft smoke.
- 2 ozBlended Scotch
- 1 ozSweet vermouth
- 2 dashesAngostura
Dry vermouth for sweet — paler and crisper, finished with a lemon twist instead of a cherry.
- 2 ozRye whiskey
- 1 ozDry vermouth
- 2 dashesAngostura
The forgotten borough cocktail — a drier Manhattan with maraschino and Amer Picon.
- 2 ozRye whiskey
- 3/4 ozDry vermouth
- 1/4 ozAmer Picon