“It’s almost like glue that holds a cocktail together,” said Philip Ward, the head bartender at Death & Co., in the East Village, where 17 of the 37 house drinks include bitters. “Add a dash, and the other three or four ingredients in the cocktail are in some way going to be able to relate with at least one or two things in the bitters.”

I got into cocktails when I lived in New York, and Death & Co. was one of my favorite spots.

Wine is known to be complex and "snobby" but recently I've been having a great time trying Manhattans with different whiskeys, vermouths, and bitters.

Any recommendations for making a great Manhattan?