Froog Solutions (4)

Froog's solution to the disturbing effeminacy of the Manhattan cocktail... Macho it up a bit, of course! The martini glass is a bad start. I like its elegant lines, I do; but it is a bit poofy. And I disdain to use it for anything other than a genuine martini. Dispense with the mixing glass too. Whiskey-based drinks don't need to be severely chilled, in my view. Serve in a good stout lowball glass, add two or three big rocks of ice... and mix it in the glass. Immediately heaps more masculine. That cherry has got to go! I'm not big on garnishes in a drink at the best of times, and certainly not one that threatens to make it sweeter. Likewise the sweet vermouth should be reduced to a bare minimum (on this point, at least, my buddy Dr Manhattan and I are as one: he prefers no more than "a whisper" of vermouth; although his "whispers" are a darn sight louder than mine). Bitters, on the other hand, are the raw meat of cocktail mixing, 100% masculine! Don't go overboard with them, but you can give yourself two or three big drops. Made this way, the Manhattan is a surprisingly robust and tasty drink. And your buddies won't laugh at you for drinking it.