The Rye Manhattan is the whiskey cocktail and has withstood the cocktail fads past and present. The notorious Manhattan is more likely now to be mixed with bourbon, but no bartender will ever give the vermouth a smug glance and go back to chilling cold alcohol, perhaps in homage to the driest of Martinis which deserve this level of ridiculous respect. Even the worst Manhattan is better than some salaciously named Stripper Shot often consumed from anothers bare mid-section whose cloying sweetness is designed to mask any semblance of liquor smell or taste, propelling this brand of drinker into stupefied intoxication.
With all the extensive information available today about the history and the method of mixing this drink there really isn’t much for Flighty to add. Please remember when watching Cocktails On The Fly things were very different in the cocktail world at that time. When we originally produced these episodes in 2007,  any effort to educate and further the presence of classic drinks was met with open-armed enthusiasm. It was still quite unusual to find a bar stocked with rye, let alone many varieties and boutique brands. We’ve learned so much since filming this show, and as with any reflection of the development of popular culture, how it was then vs. how it is now, we look back wistfully at things we would change and update for the current cocktail climate. As it stands, Cocktails On The Fly  is a wonderful little time capsule of a unique period of cocktail discovery before artistry and enthusiasm were overshadowed by cocktail militance.
But enough of that, let’s focus on The Rye Manhattan. Â Cheers!
