Comments on: The Manhattan Special http://www.ardenstone.com/2007/01/06/the-manhattan-special/ Fri, 25 Nov 2011 22:50:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Ardenstone http://www.ardenstone.com/2007/01/06/the-manhattan-special/comment-page-1/#comment-69 Ardenstone Wed, 10 Jan 2007 05:47:14 +0000 http://www.ardenstone.com/wp/2007/01/06/the-manhattan-special/#comment-69 Actually I've been meaning to try that very drink, although only because I knew of it as an olde timey martini. Historically, martinis have been made a much higher vermouth:gin ratio, and often used orange bitters (back when they were more available). In addition, some people maintain that a lemon twist is the only way to drink a martini, with the olive being a new fangled polluter of fine gin. Given the botanical nature of gin, the orange and lemon could certainly work to enhance the flavor, so I can see it. So that's the first I've ever heard of it being called a "fitty-fitty." I looked it up online, and it sounds like it's coming out of <a href="http://www.peguclub.com/" rel="nofollow">Pegu</a>, which I've heard of as serving good, classic cocktails. Alas, we live on the wrong coast for such things (I have to imagine at least LA has some decent cocktail bars, but I haven't found a one here in San Diego). Finally, the thinking person should head on over to <a href="http://www.drinkboy.com" rel="nofollow">Drink Boy's site</a> for a wealth of knowledge about cocktails. I really do tend to like his taste better than some of the other sites out there. In addition, he has a recipe for <a href="http://www.drinkboy.com/Cocktails/recipes/Martinioriginal.html" rel="nofollow">Martini (original)</a> that includes 1:5 vermouth:gin (which is not 1:1, but is much higher than the current trend), orange bitters and a lemon twist. He's also the one that inspired me to put the <a href="http://www.ardenstone.com/wp/2005/06/30/pegu/" rel="nofollow">Pegu</a> cocktail on my "to try" list long before I'd ever heard of the club. Actually I’ve been meaning to try that very drink, although only because I knew of it as an olde timey martini. Historically, martinis have been made a much higher vermouth:gin ratio, and often used orange bitters (back when they were more available). In addition, some people maintain that a lemon twist is the only way to drink a martini, with the olive being a new fangled polluter of fine gin. Given the botanical nature of gin, the orange and lemon could certainly work to enhance the flavor, so I can see it.

So that’s the first I’ve ever heard of it being called a “fitty-fitty.” I looked it up online, and it sounds like it’s coming out of Pegu, which I’ve heard of as serving good, classic cocktails. Alas, we live on the wrong coast for such things (I have to imagine at least LA has some decent cocktail bars, but I haven’t found a one here in San Diego).

Finally, the thinking person should head on over to Drink Boy’s site for a wealth of knowledge about cocktails. I really do tend to like his taste better than some of the other sites out there. In addition, he has a recipe for Martini (original) that includes 1:5 vermouth:gin (which is not 1:1, but is much higher than the current trend), orange bitters and a lemon twist. He’s also the one that inspired me to put the Pegu cocktail on my “to try” list long before I’d ever heard of the club.

]]> By: AE http://www.ardenstone.com/2007/01/06/the-manhattan-special/comment-page-1/#comment-68 AE Wed, 10 Jan 2007 03:24:57 +0000 http://www.ardenstone.com/wp/2007/01/06/the-manhattan-special/#comment-68 Hey Ardenstone, have you seen the new Saveur (cover story: the Saveur 100)? Number 30 is "The return of the thinking person's cocktail," hailing the renaissance of such drinks as the whiskey smash and the fitty-fitty, after the dark era of Carrie Bradshaw. They have a recipe for the fitty-fitty; it appears to be a martini made of 50 percent gin, 50 percent vermouth, and a dash of orange bitters, served with a twist of lemon. Do you have any thoughts on this? I'd link to it but it's not on their website yet. (If you google fitty-fitty, be sure and add the term "cocktail," or you'll just get a bunch of hip-hop sites.) Hey Ardenstone, have you seen the new Saveur (cover story: the Saveur 100)? Number 30 is “The return of the thinking person’s cocktail,” hailing the renaissance of such drinks as the whiskey smash and the fitty-fitty, after the dark era of Carrie Bradshaw. They have a recipe for the fitty-fitty; it appears to be a martini made of 50 percent gin, 50 percent vermouth, and a dash of orange bitters, served with a twist of lemon. Do you have any thoughts on this? I’d link to it but it’s not on their website yet. (If you google fitty-fitty, be sure and add the term “cocktail,” or you’ll just get a bunch of hip-hop sites.)

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