Manhattan
Cocktail Icons, series 1
(set of 10)
Recipe
2 oz. rye whiskey
1 oz. sweet vermouth
2 dashes aromatic bitters
Preparation
Stir ingredients with ice
Strain into chilled coupe glass
Garnish with cocktail cherry
Variations
IBA Recipe¹
50 ml Rye Whiskey
20 ml Sweet Red Vermouth
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Other Notes
For a softer, sweeter variant use bourbon instead of rye
Mix it up with different types of bitters (orange bitters and Peychaud’s are popular substitutes)
A Dry Manhattan uses dry instead of sweet vermouth
A Perfect Manhattan uses ½ oz. each of dry and sweet vermouth
A Rob Roy uses with Scotch whisky instead of rye
Lore
Origin: ca. 1870s
Creator: unknown
One of the first documented Manhattan recipes is from Harry Johnson in 1888²
Take 2 dashes of Curaçoa or Maraschino.
1 pony of rye whiskey.
1 wine-glass of vermouth.
3 dashes of Boker’s bitters.
2 small lumps of ice
Shake up well, and strain into a claret glass. Put a quarter slice of lemon in the glass and serve. If the customer prefers it very sweet use also two dashes of gum syrup.
Links & References
IBA Manhattan. https://iba-world.com/manhattan/
Johnson, H. (1888). New and Improved Illustrated Bartender’s Manual: Or How to Mix Drinks of the Present Style. I. Goldmann.
Greene, P. (2016). The Manhattan: The Story of the First Modern Cocktail with Recipes. Union Square & Co.