Manhattan

User Rating 4 Star Rating (12 Reviews) write a review

By Colleen Graham, About.com Guide

Manhattan Cocktail

Photo Courtesy: © Shannon Graham

See More About

One of the finest and oldest cocktails; it is a true classic cocktail. The Manhattan was the first cocktail that used vermouth as a modifier. As with a Martini, there are slight variations of the drink that are a matter of preference (see the list below).

I had been under the impression for the longest time that a Manhattan used Canadian or bourbon whiskey but after a few traditionalist Manhattanite's comments and a couple of drinks I'm convinced that rye whiskey makes the best Manhattan. After all, it was the original whiskey used for the drink. Though, there was a time when rye was not as widely available or as good as it is today, but after a revival, rye is back. That said, ultimately, the choice is yours as the drinker and if you prefer another whiskey in your Manhattan, go with it.

View Video: Manhattan Cocktail Recipe, 5 Manhattan Variations, 5 Easy Whiskey Cocktails

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes

Yield: 1 Cocktail

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes.
Stir well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with the cherry.

Variations on the Manhattan:

Dry Manhattan- Use a dash of dry vermouth and garnish with a lemon twist.
Perfect Manhattan- Equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Brandy Manhattan- Replace whiskey with brandy.
Scotch Manhattan- Replace whiskey with Scotch.
Southern Comfort Manhattan- Replace whiskey with Southern Comfort.

Would you like to receive cocktail tips and recipes every week? Sign up for the free cocktail newsletter and recipe of the week here and get the latest edition sent directly to your email.

User Reviews

4 out of 5

nuther variation, Member TMFSTOWE

I discovered Manhattans after my bar-tending teacher suggested that if I like bourbon, I would love Manhattans and may never drink anything else. She was right, but personally, I have never liked bitters in my Manhattans. It's not how I learned to make them and I believe it kinda defeats the point of using sweet vermouth, maraschino cherries and whiskey. At first, I just used a 2 to 1 ratio of whiskey (I prefer bourbon) to sweet vermouth along with the maraschino cherry. I then realized that the other point of the cherry is to sweeten the drink with the grenadine it is packed in (the first being to absorb a lot of the booze so you can have a whiskey filled cherry at the end), so I replaced the bitters with a few drops of grenadine and have never looked back. It offers a little extra sweetness and a glorious red color in the light.