Manhattan

Texas Embassy
709 East 6th Street
Austin
Texas 78701

Manhattan cocktails have been a favourite of mine since I spent a happy evening getting to know them in an Austin bar last year (I like that many American bars are willing to try making cocktails, even if they're not on the menu).

The Manhattan is mainly whiskey, with some sweet vermouth and a couple of dashes of (Angostura) bitters to counter the sweetness. It's usually stirred well with ice then strained into a glass and served with a maraschino cherry.

The one pictured above, posing alongside some New Year tinsel, was made for me at Austin's Texas Embassy bar using smooth 'n' sweet Maker's Mark bourbon and, by the looks of it, shaken festively rather than stirred.

This was a highly partakable whiskey drink - and a far better cocktail than the so-called margarita I received shortly afterwards, which was so badly made I shudder at the memory. Bizarrely, if you're looking for a decent margarita at a Texas Embassy, you're better off heading to the one in London.

Manhattan Trivia: Make a Manhattan with Scotch whisky and it becomes a Rob Roy. A Dry Manhattan is made with dry vermouth instead of sweet vermouth and served with a twist of lemon. A Perfect Manhattan is made with equal parts sweet and dry vermouth.