Classic Cocktails · Whiskey Cocktails
Manhattan
New York's signature cocktail: deep, aromatic and quietly luxurious.
- Base spirit
- Whiskey
- Origin
- New York City, USA
- Period
- 1870s–1880s
Ingredients
IBA official specification
- Rye whiskey50 ml
- Sweet red vermouth20 ml
- Angostura bitters1 dash
- Glass
- Coupe or cocktail glass
- Ice
- None (served up)
- Garnish
- Cocktail cherry
- Technique
- Stirred
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Prep time
- 3 min
Method
- 01
Chill a coupe glass.
- 02
Combine whiskey, vermouth and bitters in a mixing glass with ice.
- 03
Stir for about 30 seconds.
- 04
Strain into the chilled coupe.
- 05
Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
Tasting Notes
- Aroma
- Rye spice, dark fruit, botanicals
- Finish
- Long, spiced, velvety
- Character
- Elegant and spirit-forward
Tasting scores are MIXY editorial assessments.
History & Background
Recipes appear in print in the 1880s, as Italian vermouth became fashionable in American bars.
Disputed or unverified
The story of a Manhattan Club banquet hosted by Lady Randolph Churchill is a myth — she was in England at the time.
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