Jockey Club – Recipe from David Embury’s ‘The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks’

Sweet Manhattan with 2 dashes maraschino to each drink. Stir.

‘Always combing the books for more Manhattan variants and this one is a good one. When I was first taught to make a Manhattan, it was always garnished with a cherry on a stick. Later when I discovered cherry bitters I tended to use a dash of this and an orange twist, nowadays we have these delicious marinated Amarena cherries form Italy, although I’ll often ask if a twist is preferred. This drink works really well as the maraschino adds the cherry flavour which goes so well with everything else. As to what comes first? I think the cherry is introduced in 1891, with a lemon twist probably before that, I like to think that garnish on this most wonderful of classic drinks is drinker specific, just like a Martini.

There are several versions of a Jockey club cocktail, probably well in line with an abundance of these clubs. Delightfully the Savoy guide lists a gin-based drink, and Embury whiskey, perfectly in line with the location of the writers. If it’s the New York Jockey Club then this ties in nicely, it started off in 1894, just after William Schmidt’s book with the Manhattan was printed, so I’d love to think that a well ready bartender launched this for the club.

Well worth trying, but so is any Manhattan variant, or drink with Maraschino in my world.