Manhattan

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Cocktail History

The Manhattan is a classic cocktail that was created by Dr. Iain Marshall in the late 1800s at the Manhattan Club in New York City, New York. It is traditionally made with rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Rye: This is one of the base spirits. We used Heaven Hill Distillery’s Rittenhouse Rye because it has a rich and clean taste with notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa, and citrus.

Sweet Vermouth: This is a fortified wine that adds sweetness. We used Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth because it’s Alex’s favorite sweet vermouth, with dark notes of herbs, figs, licorice, cinnamon, and cocoa.

Orange Bitters: This is a type of spirit infused with orange and botanicals. They add citrus flavor and spice to the drink for more complexity. We used Scrappy’s Bitters Orange Bitters because they offer the classic taste of bitter oranges, herbs, and spices.

Orange Peel: This is the garnish. It adds a bit of orange aroma and flavor when dropped into the drink.

Cherry: This is the garnish. We prefer Luxardo Maraschino cherries because they’re some of the tastiest and highest quality cherries on the market.

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.

Tools & Glassware We Recommend

More Rye Cocktails

If you like this rye-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:

• Remember The Maine: A rye cocktail made with sweet vermouth, cherry liqueur, absinthe, and a cherry

• Midnight Stinger: A whiskey cocktail made with Fernet-Branca, lemon juice, simple syrup, and mint

• Falling Leaves: A rye cocktail made with Amaro Montenegro, toasted fig syrup, chocolate bitters, and an orange slice

• Mott & Mulberry: A rye cocktail made with Amaro Abano, apple cider, lemon juice, Demerara syrup, and apple slices