Manhattan Cocktail
The exact origins are in some dispute, but it surely originated in the late 1800s in Manhattan and is the whiskey alter ego to a martini.
Folklore has it that the Manhattan was created at The Manhattan Club in 1870 for a dinner party held in honor of Winston Churchill’s mother, but this account is in some dispute. By another account, it was allegedly created a decade earlier at another bar on Broadway by a mysterious bartender known only as “Black.” Food historians, however, can validate two recipes appearing in print in 1884. One, called “The Manhattan,” was quite a different recipe than we know today, made with Scotch whiskey and simple syrup, resembling more of what we call a Rob Roy in these times. Another cocktail, called “The Tennessean” more closely resembled today’s recipe for a Manhattan with two parts whiskey, two parts vermouth and a dash of bitters. The recipe didn’t say whether to use sweet or dry vermouth.
So, like many cocktails in the pantheon of bartending, the true origin of the now classic Manhattan, made with Rye Whiskey, sweet vermouth and a dash or two of bitter, always garnished with cherries, may never be truly known.
The Bitters
All Manhattan recipes will call for a dash or two of Angostura bitters. The exact ingredients of the bitters, created in the 1830s as a tincture for digestive problems, is considered indispensable as a standard bar pantry stock item. It took them until the early 2000s to create Orange Angostura bitters. Both of those products are just fine, however, I prefer those made by the same distillery that produces my preferred brand of Rye Whiskey for this recipe, Woodford Reserve.
The Cherry Garnish
For years, this cocktail was garnished with the bright red maraschino cherries that also usually finds its way on the summit of a good ice cream sundae. An early 2000s renaissance in the classic American cocktail market gave the world something made less for children’s desserts with Bing cherries marinated in bourbon. I prefer those also manufactured by the same distillery as the Bitters, Woodford Reserve. Incidentally, Woodford Reserve is owned by the same publicly traded (but largely family controlled) company that owns the world famous Tennessee whiskey, Jack Daniel’s.
Regardless of what cherry you use, a Manhattan requires two as a proper garnish, much like a Martini must have its olives.
Most recipes for a Manhattan do call for rye whiskey or Canadian whiskey. Some Manhattan drinkers prefer bourbon, but I subscribe to the classic version with a good American made rye, also distilled by Woodford Reserve.
Manhattan Cocktail
The exact origins are in some dispute, but it surely originated in the late 1800s in Manhattan and is the whiskey alter ego to a martini.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces rye whiskey (like, Woodford Reserve Straight Kentucky Rye)
- 1 ounce Sweet Vermouth (like, Doolin)
- 2 dashes aromatic bitters (like, Angostura or Woodford Reserve)
- 1 dash orange bitters (like, Woodford Reserve)
- 2 maraschino or bourbon cherries for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a martini glass or champagne coupe with hard ice and water and allow to chill for 305 minutes.
- In a cocktail shaker, add the whiskey, vermouth and both bitters.
- Add ice to the cocktail shaker, and shake vigorously just 29 times.
- Pour the ice water out of the martini glass or champagne coupe, garnish with 2 skewered maraschino or bourbon cherries with stems removed, and serve.
Notes
- The term "hard ice" is an old bartender term from the days when a mixologist would use an ice pick on a large block of ice to pick off large chunks of ice to make a cocktail. Today, the term "hard ice" is to distinguish it from "crushed ice" or "shaved ice."
