Manhattan
An 1800s NYC classic
- Method
- Stirred
- Style
- Classic
- Glass
- Martini glass
- Time
- 5 min
Ingredients
- 60mlRye Whiskey
No Rye Whiskey? Bourbon — rounder and sweeter — you lose rye's pepper, so the drink reads softer
- 30mlSweet Vermouth
No Sweet Vermouth? Sherry — the fancy alternative — much richer, so it pairs nicely with spicy spirits like rye whiskey. Not cream sherry.
- 4 dashesAngostura
No Angostura? Old Fashioned Bitters — close to Ango, with the same spicy notes — just not the standard bottle
- —Cherriesfor garnish
- Garnish
- Cocktail cherries
Make it well
Stirred, properly.
No citrus in this cocktail so we'll it with ice
Add all ingredients to a and top up with some ice
Stir fast for 30 seconds and try to move the ice as one with your spoon to chill effectively. Weird tip, a chopstick works perfectly to stir!
Strain into a Martini glass and garnish with as many cherries as you like
On the palate
On the nose it's rich and spicy as the vermouth and rye mix. Toasted spices from the bitters follow. On tasting, it's so smooth and boozy, definitely a stiff drink. It's really mellow and relaxed, the rye and bitters provide baking spice notes that cut through the richness of the vermouth. Blended together it's almost chocolatey. At the end the booze-soaked cherries are an amazing treat!
Where it came from
A truly classic cocktail with mysterious origins, all that is really known about the Manhattan is that it turns up in the 1880s. It was allegedly mixed a decade earlier, in 1874, at a Manhattan Club party for one Lady Randolph Churchill. However, this rumour was later disproved by the well documented life and times of her famous son, Winston, who was born in London around the time Lady Churchill was supposedly partying it up. Whatever its origin story, the Manhattan is a heavy-weight of the classic cocktail world and a must-try.
Keep pouring
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The bartender’s note
One drink, one story, one bottle worth buying.
Thursday evening, so you have time to shop. No more than that.