Manhattan
Rye or bourbon, sweet vermouth and bitters, stirred and served up. Rich, spiced and the model for a whole family of drinks.
- MethodStirred
- GlassCoupe
- IceNone (served up)
- Strengthabout 25.6% ABV
- BaseWhiskey
- Tastestrong, sweet, bitter
Recipe
| 60 ml 2 oz | Rye whiskey or Bourbon |
| 30 ml 1 oz | Sweet (red) vermouth |
| 2 dashes | Aromatic bitters (Angostura-style) |
Garnish. One good dark cocktail cherry on a pick or dropped in the glass; a strip of orange peel expressed over the top is a fine alternative.
Method
- Chill a coupe in the freezer or with ice water.
- Put the whiskey, vermouth and bitters in a mixing glass and fill it with ice.
- Stir for 25 to 30 seconds, until very cold.
- Strain into the empty chilled coupe and add the cherry.
About the Manhattan
The Manhattan is whiskey softened and sweetened by red vermouth, with a couple of dashes of bitters to tie the two together. Made with rye it is drier and spicier; with bourbon it is rounder, with more vanilla and caramel. Two parts whiskey to one of vermouth is the usual balance.
History
Earliest record 1882: Newspaper column, Olean, New York (mention, no recipe)
Documented
The first known mention in print is a "New York Letter" column carried by a newspaper in Olean, New York, in September 1882, which describes a newly fashionable drink of whiskey, vermouth and bitters going by several names, Manhattan among them. Full recipes followed in 1884, when several American bar books printed it, including O. H. Byron's Modern Bartenders' Guide, which gives two versions (one with French vermouth and one with Italian). Early recipes often added a little gum syrup or curaçao; the plainer two-to-one formula settled in during the 20th century.
Legend and lore
The most repeated story says the drink was created at the Manhattan Club in New York for a banquet hosted by Lady Randolph Churchill (Jennie Jerome) in 1874. She was in England at the time, about to give birth to Winston Churchill, so the story cannot be true as told. Another account credits a bartender called Black at a bar near Broadway and Houston Street; the evidence for it is thin.
Disputed or unclear: Where and by whom the drink was first made is unknown; the early newspaper report already treats it as a fashion with several names.
Variations
- Rob Roy. Blended Scotch in place of American whiskey.
- Perfect Manhattan. The vermouth split equally between sweet and dry, garnished with lemon peel.
- Martinez. Its gin cousin from the same decade: Old Tom gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino and bitters.
- Vieux Carré. A New Orleans descendant with rye and cognac, Bénédictine and two kinds of bitters.
Bartender's notes
- Vermouth is wine; keep the bottle in the fridge and replace it after a few weeks.
- Rye of around 50% ABV holds its own against the vermouth better than a softer, lower-strength whiskey.
