Today is the anniversary of one of the greatest, yet lesser known, significant holidays in the history of our country: National Repeal Day. If you have no idea what I am referring to, on this day in 1933, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the repeal of the 13-year long national prohibition of alcohol, thereby securing himself as the greatest American president ever! Washington and Lincoln, who? Obviously, banning one of America’s finer traditions, getting sloshed, led to bootlegging as well as the advent of the speakeasy. Yes kids, that retro-trendy “speakeasy” you went/go to is nothing but a cheap knockoff of what were some truly exciting times in the history of this country a mere 100 years ago; where you really needed to know a secret knock, handshake, or code word to gain access to an illegal liquor joint. However, those exciting times led to the birth of some great mixed cocktails. The mixers were needed back then, functionally, to help mask the atrociousness of bootlegged, high-grade alcohol.
I had originally planned to go with one of my favorites today: an old fashioned. I never really was a fan of them until my once-NYC bartending friend, Josh, prepared an excellent one for me at a dinner he and his wife hosted a few years back.
However, this week I lost my dad due to complications from contracting the Coronavirus. While I’ve had some relatives and friends contract this potentially deadly virus, this was the first time it hit so close to home and so tragically. This virus is not done with the world yet, and it’s going to get worse this winter. So, all I ask of you, my personal appeal is that, during this holiday season, you please reconsider any travel or festive gathering plans you may have. Especially if it involves the elderly. There is nothing festive about the loss of life. There is nothing festive about not being able to say goodbye to your loved ones. There is nothing festive when you can’t even console your mother who is grieving the loss of her only love. If you must be around the elderly, please, absolutely wear a mask. My parents did, aside from when they ate or took photos at the event they attended, and they still managed to contract the virus. Not everyone, especially the younger individuals, wore masks from what I understand. Even if they were, masks are not an absolute guarantee the virus will not be spread. So, please reconsider any plans so that you may have the opportunity to see them next year and for many more years to come.
In honor of my father’s life, I am making a Manhattan today. That’s where he was born, and it was his absolute favorite cocktail. I think by the time I was 6 or 7, I could’ve ordered for him when we’d go to a restaurant: “I’ll start with a Manhattan; straight-up.” Yup, even though by most accounts this is a sipper-of-a-cocktail, that’s how my dad would merely start the festivities. My father was also a real stickler on time (and, particularly, flow of the meal service). My dad was not that picky when it came to the food, but not many restaurants lived up to his standard of timing. I also learned from my dad how to effectively confront a Maitre’d to voice your displeasure of said timing and thereby acquiring another Manhattan, free-of-charge, of course! My dad was a great guy. A simple, straightforward, hardworking man who loved a simple and straightforward (“cut the bullshit” was one of his favorite utterances) cocktail. He didn’t care for the “fussiness” of the cherry, or dare even a citrus garnish, that would come with his cocktail. But, I lived for every time he’d near the bottom of his lowball, when he’d reach in and grab the alcohol-infused cherry (sometimes buried among the ice he didn’t order - but hey, that’s probably grounds for another free cocktail) and place it on my bread plate and give me a little touch on the arm. So, below, you’ll find two recipes: traditional and the way my dad made his own.
Rest in peace, big guy. We’re gonna miss you and your style so very much.
Manhattan - Classic
2 oz Basil Hayden Dark Rye
1 oz Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Luxardo maraschino cherries
In a cocktail shaker, combine the first three ingredients with some ice and stir to incorporate. Pour, using either the mixer’s top or a bartender’s strainer, into a chilled coupe and garnish with a cherry.
Manhattan - Big Guy Style
While my dad traditionally drank this cocktail straight-up at restaurants, at home, he would drink them in a lowball with some large homemade ice cubes. Also, he would shake it all in a mixer and forego any garnish. This recipe is dedicated to my father who lived 83 convivial years.
2 oz Rye (anything sold in a plastic bottle would do for dad, but I don’t recommend it!)
1 oz Sweet vermouth
Large ice cubes
In a cocktail shaker, combine the first three ingredients with some regular ice and shake. Fill a lowball with one large ice cube, pouring the contents of the shaker through the top/strainer.
_____________________________________________ Copyright 2020, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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