Manhattan
Rye, sweet vermouth, bitters. The cocktail every great bartender judges other cocktails against.
Ingredients
- 2 oz rye whiskey (bourbon also works)
- 1 oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica recommended)
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Brandied cherry, for garnish
- Orange peel, optional
Method
- Add the rye, sweet vermouth, and bitters to a mixing glass filled two-thirds with ice.
- Stir for 25 to 30 seconds — long enough to chill and dilute, but not water down.
- Strain into a chilled coupe.
- Drop in the brandied cherry. Express the orange peel over the surface if desired, then discard.
Flavor
Spice-led and rich. The rye gives it backbone; the vermouth softens the edges without dulling the spirit. Bitters add depth that lifts every sip.
History
Created in Manhattan in the early 1870s, with the most widely told origin placing it at the Manhattan Club in New York City. The recipe was strong enough to survive Prohibition almost unchanged — when the only spirits available were rough Canadian rye smuggled south, the Manhattan was the cocktail that made the rye drinkable.
A Perfect Manhattan splits the vermouth evenly between sweet and dry. A Dry Manhattan uses only dry vermouth and a lemon twist instead of cherry — leaner, sharper, less common, still defensible.
Pairs With
- Charcuterie
- Aged cheese
- Steak
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