My parents were big drinkers and smokers in the Rat Pack days. Had a full bar set up in the house and well stocked. I remember things like an Old Fashioned or Rob Roy. So a Manhattan has variations but like a Whiskey Sour uses bourbon or rye while the Rob Roy has to be Scotch. You need to tell the bar guy which when you get into this area. I was at a pretty nice establishment a couple years ago where the family ran up a 1000 tab for dinner. One granddaughter is in corporate with the owners of this restaurant and others, but not a chain. They are all individual but spendy. Crab legs 100 and lobster 90, that sort of silliness.
So here I am, the vegetarian sitting around a big table with a few hundred dollars worth of meat spread out. But that's not the story. Since this was all fancy pants I decided to order one of my parents era drinks. I think it was a bourbon Manhattan — dry. I couldn't see around to the bar but I got the word later that they had a hard time even finding it in the recipe book. The waiter had no idea what his order was going back to the bar.
It was not very cold served up. Should have stuck to the old stand by, double Kentucky in a wet bucket. Steve will know that one.
This would be a single:
Fill the glass packed with ice and pour water in it. Toss the water and refill to top with whiskey. No garnish. An hour long drink that stays cold, or cold enough. I wasn't a snobbish drinker. Way back when I was single I would spend the early evening at the bar with 2 of those and hot bar food. Something like oysters Rockefeller when I ate stuff like that.
Probably why I don't eat stuff like that anymore. Doing my share of framing and concrete in those days I could eat anything and stay 6'1" 165. Now 6' and 160 wet.