Expansion

There seems to be some expansion of thoughts on the bourbon tab.  When this blog was first set up, it was about bourbon, and other random thoughts inspired by bourbon.  Lately, several other products have been creeping in, and possibly diluting the bourbon.  Since nobody likes watered down bourbon, a  reassessment is in order.  

The changes have been creeping in since touring a moonshine distillery. So all of the sudden, we are talking a little moonshine too. The next thing was getting some bottled Manhattan for my father-in-law.  I thought that a Manhattan was pretty good, so now those thoughts have entered the site as well.  Then it became clear that I needed to try some bitters to make the ultimate Manhattan, so the site expanded further.

Now, we finally realize that the deviation is not yet done.

Today marks the first appearance of a rye whiskey on the site.  Why rye?  Well, the alphageek read many places that rye makes great Manhattans, and that the original Manhattans were made with rye.  Yes, bitters is in there too and at some point there will be a special article devoted to just bitters. Yes, there are getting to be a lot of posts waiting to be written up. We will try to pick up the pace a little.

Taking a sip of the Wild Turkey Rye, and I think wow, this stuff burns a little going down. It is not harsh, but not the type of finish a bourbon guy expects either.  Since I keep hearing how great these Manhattans can be with rye, I make one up.  I first added just the sweet vermouth, and that was good drink.  I added a few drops of my favorite bitters.  Now, I am starting to get what the big deal is.  The vermouth and bitters together clean up the finish of the rye, and make the flavor almost explode while sipping. This is the drink people rave about when they order a Manhattan.

Rye is going into the standard stock.  This site will never be the same.

Wild Turkey Spiced

The Holidays are over, but the bounty known as trips to ABC store are continuing to pay off. This is the primary season for review of lovely gifts from the past month or so.  Up today is Wild Turkey Spiced.

This site is dedicated to original content, so we just sip and review. None of this researching what the bourbon is for or anything like that. Google is how you can find other opinions.

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Now that we have the picture out of the way, there is really not much to tell. After opening, we took a sip, and did not get much in the way of spice, with one exception.  There was a little more vanilla flavor present than usual, for a bourbon. The bourbon was a mild and smooth version of Wild Turkey, that went down well. I would suggest trying this in some sort of mixed drink that would appreciate a little extra kick of spice, such as a bourbon and cola or a Manhattan. We would have tried one of those, but we only purchased a mini bottle, and we probably won't purchase anymore.

Make a Manhattan

In an earlier post, we tasted some bottled Manhattan.  This bottling has inspired an entire line of blog posts over on the companion site, alphageek talks food.  Since there was actually a question, we devote today's article to making a Manhattan.

Sure, you can google how to make a Manhattan.  There are a lot of opinions out there. This is our column, so this is our opinion. 

Ingredients are key to a good Manhattan.  First and foremost, you need bitters. Rather than go buy something exotic, get the classic: Angostura bitters.  You can get them at most grocery stores, and other places that can sell bar supplies. You need some whiskey. There is a lot of variety here, so I will cut down your options.  Get either some Jim Beam Rye, or some of your favorite bourbon. Get some sweet vermouth. Get the sweet vermouth at the grocery store too. Any sweet vermouth the grocery store has will make a great drink.

Technique is the next step. Half fill a rocks glass with ice. Add two shots of the Jim Beam Rye or bourbon.  Add one shot of the sweet vermouth. Add two dashes of the Angostura bitters. Stir everything up and taste. I cannot emphasize enough that these ratios are guidance only. For example, I use four dashes of bitters, not two. i then like to take out all of the ice, but one cube. Leave them all, or remove however many make you happy. I think the drink should be cold, so I leave a cube in.

After you get what you like, you might want to consult google to find variations. Don't forget to enjoy!