Manhattan Recipe
The Manhattan is the benchmark American cocktail: rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and aromatic bitters stirred cold and served up. Get the ratio right and it is silky, warming, and quietly complex, the drink every home bartender should master first.
Ingredients
- 2 ozrye whiskey
- 1 ozsweet vermouth
- 2 dashesAngostura bitters
Garnish
- Brandied or Luxardo cherry
- Optional expressed orange peel
Equipment: Mixing glass, bar spoon, jigger, strainer, chilled coupe or cocktail glass
Method
- Chill your coupe or cocktail glass in the freezer or fill it with ice water while you work.
- Add the rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters to a mixing glass filled with fresh ice.
- Stir steadily for about 20 to 30 seconds until the outside of the glass is very cold and the dilution is right.
- Strain into the chilled glass, avoiding the ice.
- Garnish with a brandied cherry, and express an orange peel over the top if you like.
About the Manhattan
The Manhattan is one of the oldest American cocktails still made in its original form, generally traced to the Manhattan Club in New York City in the 1870s. The formula has barely changed in 150 years: whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Rye was the original spirit, and it remains the standard because its spice and backbone stand up to the sweetness of vermouth.
To nail it, treat the ratio as a starting point, not a law. Two parts rye to one part sweet vermouth is the classic spec; if you prefer a drier, more spirit-forward drink, lean toward 2.5 to 1. Stir, never shake, so the drink stays clear and silky, and stir long enough to chill and dilute properly. Fresh vermouth matters more than most people realize, so keep an opened bottle in the fridge and replace it within a few weeks.
- Stir, do not shake: shaking aerates the drink and clouds it.
- Use fresh sweet vermouth kept in the fridge; old vermouth tastes flat and oxidized.
- Try a higher-proof rye for a bolder, spicier Manhattan.
- A brandied cherry beats a neon maraschino every time.
Get the bottles delivered
Order online for same-day or next-day Long Island delivery, free curbside pickup in Commack, or wine shipping where it is legal (spirits are local delivery and in-store pickup only). You must be 21 or older.
