Cocktail Hour: Manhattan

This was the first ever real cocktail I had. It was from my favourite bar back home and well, now I think they're fucking horrible.

At the time, I was trying to be a grown up and a cocktail seemed to be the best way to do that. I now no longer pretend that I like whiskey. It's evil stuff. The smell of bourbon even now reminds me of that old bar. There's something very Marlene Deitrich about the classic Manhattan.

You'll need these things:

2 measure of bourbon/rye whiskey (y'know what? Jack Daniels will work just fine)
1 measure sweet vermouth
Dash of Angostura bitters

You'll need to do this:

Shake everything with some ice in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a cocktail glass. Some people add a cherry, or a twist of orange peel, but sometimes I'm a traditionalist and this way will work just fine.

It's best accessorised with a fascinator and a cigar.

Flickr image from Southern Foodways Alliance's photostream.