Here, the word "perfect" refers not to the quality of the classic cocktail (though we do love this version), but to the equal amounts of sweet and dry vermouth used to make it.
Created at an Irish airport by chef Joe Sheridan for passengers who made an emergency landing there, this recipe was then passed along to the bartender at San Francisco's old Buena Vista Hotel.
Many unconfirmed reports of this cocktail's creation exist. Some believe it came from Chicago's South Side during Prohibition; others think that it comes from the Southside Sportsmen's Club on Long Island....