The Manhattan

The Reluctant Bartender makes the historic cocktail.

The Manhattan (copyright The Reluctant Bartender)

Difficulty: Easy (Super Easy, actually!)
Ingredients: Rye or bourbon, vermouth, bitters, Luxardo cherry
Gear: mixing glass, strainer, bar spoon, cocktail glasses, ice
Flavor Profile: Spirit forward, complex
Countdown to Enjoyment: 5 minutes

Recipe:
2 parts rye (or bourbon)
1 part vermouth
Two dashes Angostura bitters
1 cherry

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Introducing the Manhattan

(Click here to go directly to the recipe and instructions.)

Let's have a talk. Slide up to the bar here at The Reluctant Bartender, and let us more pour you a Manhattan. Do you taste that? That right there is American Cocktail History on your palate. A combination of whiskey, vermouth, and bitters, stirred gently over ice, and garnished with a proper cherry.

The flavor is complex and luscious, the bite of the whiskey offset by the slight sweetness of the vermouth and it's aromatized notes. Bitters add what I think of as height to the base proceedings, an ornamental element added to the classic underlying spirit architecture. It's a luxuriant drink with many dimensions. A drink with character.

Now listen: I debated where to start. The Manhattan? Or The Old Fashioned?

The Old Fashioned has a legitimate claim to the title of most important cocktail, since it was the first cocktail. The Old Fashioned began life as the whiskey cocktail, documented as early as 1806. The recipe called for whiskey, sugar, bitters, and water. This drink marched along for decades but the recipe didn't change much, if at all. Modifications of the base recipe included using gin or brandy as the base spirit, but the concoction and its variations were not significant enough to even warrant a name change. 

It wasn't until the Manhattan arrived sometime after the Civil War that the history of cocktails was fundamentally changed, forever. While the Old Fashioned wears the badge of first, the Manhattan wears the badge of most important. The addition of vermouth—an aromatized, fortified wine from Italy—has been called a watershed moment by many, including author Philip Greene in his work The Manhattan: The Story of the First Modern Cocktail.

"No other drink can match the historical and cultural significance of the classic cocktail, the Manhattan. Its advent represents a watershed moment in cocktail history.  For the first time, an imported, fortified, aromatized wine known as vermouth modified the structure of the cocktail, adding balance, nuance, sophistication and sweetness to the base spirit. It completed the revolution and launched a new epoch. The Manhattan so changed the drinking landscape that the original [the whiskey cocktail] became old hat, old school…the Old-Fashioned."

Think about that: it wasn't until the arrival of the Manhattan, a disruptive force in this new world of drinks, that the Old Fashioned even received a proper name.

That's a powerful history, one that you can hold in your hand today, and enjoy in much the same way it was over 150 years ago.

Was the Manhattan really created in Manhattan? Well, that's up for some debate. Some stories have the drink created in Maryland, which would make a little sense given that the original recipe called for rye whiskey as the base spirit, and Maryland was known for distilling rye. Other stories say the drink originated at the Manhattan Club in New York City, in the 1880's.

Regardless of where it was created, or who was involved, there's a reason that the Manhattan has been the drink of choice for discriminating cocktail lovers for well over a century.

Let's dig in.

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Notes on how to make a Manhattan

Regardless of the complex history of the Manhattan, the drink is easy to make! Don't let cocktail snobs confuse you by telling you it's "deceptively complex"--it is not. The resulting flavors have a depth of complexity, but when you pull back the covers it's essentially a two-ingredient cocktail, with a couple dashes of bitters. Some consider the bitters to be an ingredient, others consider it more of a garnish. I do not view bitters as a garnish. Leave out the bitters and what we're left with is a slightly flat drink, lacking height.

For the sake of simplicity here at The Reluctant Bartender, we'll consider the Manhattan a two-ingredient cocktail—but don't forget those bitters!

There's beauty in the simplicity here, and this ratio is going to be something we refer back to many times as we learn more cocktail recipes. The ratio to remember is 2:1 -- two parts of spirit to one part vermouth. Couldn't be easier.

The spirit and vermouth are measured and poured into a mixing glass, bitters are added, and the ingredients are stirred over ice, strained, and poured into a cocktail glass.

Rye or Bourbon?

The big debate among fans of the cocktail centers around the use of rye or bourbon. I used to feel that the only way to make a Proper Manhattan was to use rye whiskey. To this day, it's still my preferred base spirit for a Manhattan. Rye brings a spiciness to the proceedings that I enjoy. I want the base spirit to have a little bit of attitude because we're going to be adding other flavors from the vermouth and the bitters, and I don't want the spirit to get lost.

Over the years, I've softened my fundamentalist stance. After all, why should the door to other flavors be closed? There's no reason to exclude those who may prefer the flavor of a different spirit. These days, I enjoy a bourbon Manhattan too.

Here's what I'll say about the difference between using rye vs. bourbon. The rye version will have a spicier kick on the palate, whereas the bourbon version will be more mellow, with a rounder mouth feel. I suggest you try both, and I've included some recommendations below.Never shake a Manhattan!

We'll talk about this more in other entries, but there's an easy way to remember whether to stir or shake a cocktail: drinks that contain all spirit should be stirred. Recipes that include ingredients other than spirit—orange juice, for example—should be shaken to fully incorporate.

Shaking a drink like a Manhattan will result in a cloudy drink, with ice chips floating on top, and a slightly-off mouth feel.

A properly stirred Manhattan will remain clear and beautiful, there will be no ice chips knocking against your pearly whites, and the drink will be velvet smooth.

What's up with the Luxardo cherry?

Well, to be quite frank, they are the best dang cherries for this application. Yes, you can make your own brandied cherries. I find dried cherries that have been soaked and refortified can be a little too soft and mushy. Luxardos have a snap! when you bite into them. They're dark, sweet, every so slightly tart, and the perfect ending to a classic Manhattan.

What bitters?

I recommend that you Reluctant Bartenders start with the classic Angostura bitters. They bring additional spiciness to the fore, with notes of clove and cinnamon. It's hard to go wrong with Angostura. They're a bartenders staple for good reason.

Other bitters bring different taste dimensions to our Manhattans. I suggest giving them a try! Peychaud's bitters are a popular choice, and I've found that I like the cinnamon-forward flavor of Fee Brothers Barrel-Aged Bitters.

We will be adding an entry devoted entirely to bitters in the coming weeks. For now, start with Angostura and together we'll expand out bitters collection and try new ones together as we progress deeper into the recipe book of The Reluctant Bartender.

What whiskey?

I spent many years making Manhattans with Bulleit Rye. Bulliet has more rustic flavor with a certain spicy peaks that fit well when mixed into a Manhattan. You want to taste the spirit in a spirit-forward cocktail such as the Manhattan, and you need something with character to hold up to the character of the vermouth. Bulleit Rye is readily available and is fairly priced in my experience. There are cheaper ryes out there, but when I'm making what may very well be the King of Cocktails, I'm not looking for a discounted experience.

My all-time favorite spirit for a Manhattan is Pikesville Rye, hands down.  Pikesville is a rye whiskey that comes in at 110 proof--it packs a punch! But that punch doesn't come at the expense of taste or complexity. Pikesville is slightly more expensive than Bulleit, but totally worth it if you ask me.

As for bourbon, I've found that I like to use Old Forrester 86 bourbon, the standard 86 proof version. Old Forrester 86 brings character and a nice round mouth feel to the proceedings. Old Forrester is readily available, fairly inexpensive, has a great history, and does a good job of making a respectable and tasty Manhattan. Old Forrester 86 is one of those base sprits that I like to have around for use in many different cocktails.

What vermouth?

For the classic Manhattan, The Reluctant Bartender recommends either Dolin Vermouth or Carpano Antica Formula. Both of these should be readily available in a good liquor store. Yes, I’m making a judgement here. I’ve been in certain liquor stores in Harford County, MD, where not only did they not have any vermouth, the owner didn’t even know what vermouth was.

It’s totally understandable if you, The Reluctant Bartender, don’t know what vermouth is, or where to find good vermouth. It’s another story entirely when the proprietor of a fully-stocked liquor store has never even heard of a staple ingredient for many, many cocktails.

Guys, I can help you craft cocktails at home, but I can’t find you a good local liquor store. You’re gonna have to find that on your own. A good liquor store will not only have vermouth in stock, but the proprietor should be able to guide you to a section that has multiple different options, including different vermouth styles and makers. For the Manhattan recipe here, you want a sweet red vermouth.

Seek out the options mentioned above, and you literally cannot go wrong.

Which vermouth to choose? Well, we here at The Reluctant Bartender really enjoy Dolin’s. It’s good, easy to find, reasonably priced, and works great in a Manhattan, or on it’s own over ice. Carpano Antica is delicious. But it’s also a little more pricey than Dolin’s. Carpano adds a rustic winter-weather weight to the drink that works great in cold weather, but is a little much for warmer temps. Carpano is also great over ice.

For holiday season, go with Carpano. Otherwise, if you want to spend a little less, and get a little lighter vermouth that is both full of flavor and works great in a Manhattan, reach for Dolin’s.

Recipe and Step-by-Step Instructions

Ingredients:

2 ounces of Rye or Bourbon
1 ounce of vermouth
2 dashes of bitters (Angostura)
1 Luxardo cherry

Prep your glasses:

1. Grab your cocktail glass(es) and bar spoon.

2. Drizzle a 1/2 bar spoon of Luxardo cherry syrup artfully around the inside of the glass.

3. Add a single cherry to the bottom.

Prep your Cocktail:

1. Pour 2 ounces of your chosen whiskey into a mixing glass.

2. Add 1 ounce of vermouth

3. Add two dashes of bitters

4. Using a cocktail spoon, stir for 50 rotations (about 30 seconds)

5. Strain equal portions into your cocktail glasses.

6. Enjoy!

That's it.. I told you, this was going to be easy.

You've made one of the most important drinks in the history of cocktails. Hold that glass up to the light and enjoy the red and chestnut brown highlights shining clearly through your mix. Bring it to your lips and let the Manhattan dance over your tongue, smooth, cold, slightly spicy, sweet, and just a touch bitter. Don't wait to enjoy that cherry until the drink is completely gone. I like to enjoy that cherry with the very last mouthful, the tartness of the cherry mixing with the last of the cocktail, and readying my palate for round two.