A Palmetto is basically a rum Manhattan and you could probably order it that way, though as Robert Simonson puts it, "that's one extra syllable between you and your cocktail." My books, however, offer two different recipes.
The New York Bartender's Guide has light rum and dry vermouth, 2:1 ratio with 3 dashes of Angostura bitters. Simonson's
3-Ingredient Cocktails has Cruzan Single Barrel rum and sweet vermouth, 1:1 with one dash of orange bitters (clearly his favorite). It was the brand specificity of Simonson's that initially drove me to the other book. But my wife, genius that she is, suggested trying both. Bacardi would simply have to do.
No question, Simonson's is better. The three ingredients play together more nicely. In the dry vermouth/Angostura option, one tastes all three components distinctly. In the other, the rum complements the sweet vermouth more naturally and a lighter hint of bitters is still plenty. My wife suggests that perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to turn up our noses at Simonson's fussiness. Even the Squirt preferred the second one:
I love that you did a comparison between the two. I am quite curious to know that the one book gives brand specificity as well. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete~Jess
The brand specificity is, in fact, the one thing I don't like about the book.
DeleteNice comparison. Sometimes the specific brand does make a difference.
ReplyDeletecheers, parsnip and badger
No doubt it does make a difference, especially with rum where one company's recipe can be entirely different from another. I can say from what I've tried of his recipes, though, Simonson definitely knows what he's talking about. So, if I should find myself in the mood to spend a little more on a bottle of rum...
Deleteooh... rum...
ReplyDeletegonna have to try that one
I hope you enjoy it.
Delete