MAKE ME YOUR BEST MANHATTAN!

I'm a bourbon guy, and like most bourbon guys, my favorite cocktail is the Manhattan, the quintessential cocktail of all brown liquor fans. There are only three ingredients in the classic Manhattan: bourbon (or rye), sweet vermouth, and bitters, so the quality of the result depends not only on the selection of ingredients, but also on its presentation, and frankly the flair and attention to detail the bartender pays to its preparation.

When I travel and visit a nice bar, I often walk up to the bartender and simply say "Make me your best Manhattan!" Then I watch, closely. How they make the cocktail and what ingredients they choose says a lot about the bar itself, I think. So join me on this journey in search of the best Manhattan and the bars where I find them (or not).