Perfect Manhattan: 2 oz rye or bourbon whiskey, 1/2 oz sweet vermouth, 1/2 oz dry vermouth, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, cocktail cherry for garnish.Dry Manhattan: 2 oz rye or bourbon whiskey, 1 oz dry vermouth, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, cocktail cherry for garnish.

Black Manhattan: 2 oz rye whiskey, 1 oz Averna Amaro, 1 dash Angostura bitters, 1 dash orange bitters, cocktail cherry for garnish.

Here are six popular Manhattan variations: One of my all time favorites is the Remember the Maine, a mix of rye, vermouth, cherry liqueur and a dash of absinthe. There are many riffs and variations on this classic. My favorite way to make a Manhattan is with an expressed lemon twist (which is then discarded) and a single Luxardo cherry. The oils from an expressed lemon peel amplify the sweet flavors in the vermouth, making the drink feel even more balanced. Instead of a cherry, some prefer to garnish with Manhattans with a lemon twist. Or garnish with three cherries and have one with the beginning, middle, and end! Save the cherry for the end to accompany your last sip. A syrupy sweet cherry is the perfect complement to the boozy bite of whiskey and vermouth.

I like to use the decadent Luxardo Maraschino Cherries.

The classic Manhattan garnish is a cocktail or brandied cherry. Dump the ice water just before straining the Manhattan into the glass. You can chill your glass in the freezer ahead of time, or chill it on the spot by placing some ice and water in the glass while you prepare the drink. Now, place a Julep (or Hawthorne) strainer over the glass and strain the liquid into a chilled cocktail glass. If you like a shaken Manhattan, you probably like a shaken Vesper Martini! Simply stirring for a long time (about 30 stirs) will make the drink very cold, diluted just enough, and give it a silky mouthfeel. Because the drink contains no juices or dairy, shaking is unnecessary and adds a lot of air to the drink. Note: I don’t recommend shaking Manhattans. Alternatively, you can use orange bitters, or one dash each Angostura and orange.įill the mixing glass with ice and stir for a long time to thoroughly chill and properly dilute the drink. Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass (a pint glass does well in a pinch) and add a couple dashes of Angostura bitters. The classic ratio is two ounces of whiskey to one ounce of vermouth. To make a perfect, ice-cold Manhattan, carefully measure your whiskey of choice and sweet vermouth. If you like your drinks on the sweeter side, try the Manhattan with both whiskeys and see which you like best. I prefer the spicier flavors of rye for most of my whiskey cocktails, and my bourbon for sipping neat. Rye whiskey has a spicy, peppery quality that’s toned down just enough by the sweet vermouth and bitters.īourbons tend to have a sweeter, more syrupy quality that can feel too sweet or too heavy when enhanced by the sweet vermouth. Many prefer their Manhattans with bourbon, but the original cocktail called for rye (actually it was rye-heavy Canadian whisky). Find further reading on the history of the Manhattan as well as a comprehensive list of recipe variations over on Difford’s Guide. However, it’s known that Lady Churchill was not in New York during that time, so the true history of the cocktail remains a mystery. The drink became fashionable and took on the name of the club – The Manhattan. The story goes that Winston Churchill’s mother, Lady Randolph Churchill, organized the party for a presidential candidate, and bartender Iain Marshall invented the now classic whiskey cocktail for the event. There’s a popular story about the first Manhattan cocktail being created at the Manhattan Club in New York City for a political banquet. Spicy rye whiskey was the liquor of choice when the Manhattan was first created sometime in the mid to late 1800s. And while Martinis were traditionally made with gin, but later commonly made with vodka, the Manhattan was originally made with rye whiskey and now frequently made with bourbon. Both classic cocktails are made with a base spirit, vermouth, and bitters. In fact, the Manhattan could be thought of as a “whiskey martini”. This simple, spirit-forward tipple showcases the flavors of the whiskey much like a Martini highlights gin. The Manhattan is a classic cocktail made with whiskey, vermouth, and bitters.

Whiskey manhattan