I must say that a life of no joy would be a waste; let’s call tonight’s joy a Manhattan. A Manhattan can simply be defined as a whiskey martini, artistry in motion or as my mother would say “an elegant way to take a shot”.
The basic recipe is two shots of a fine whiskey or bourbon, shaken up or on the rocks a 1/2 shot of sweet vermouth and a cherry to garnish. I also like a heavy handed splash of cherry juice. Nectar of the gods. A sweet butt kicking drink that if is created with the right booze will be smooth as velvet. I prefer mine “up”. “On the rocks” is more common, but hell, why go common!
The best Manhattan I have ever had was a Crown Royal shaken hard with a fresh sweet vermouth. If I could have crawled into the glass and bathed in it, I would have, it was that good.
Chef LJ Klink's Blog 
I have crawled in a Manhattan and bathed. It was glorious. I love me a good Manhattan. Really, though… any martini is pretty good in my book.
I just found this blog o’ yours, and I am really enjoying it. Thanks LJ. Miss you.