Harking back to New York in the 1870s, the Manhattan is unquestionably a classic cocktail. Easy to make and delicious. Not too sweet and not too bitter, the Manhattan isn’t as controversial as some other cocktails. It certainly has less of a love/hate reputation than the negroni.
Rye whisky or bourbon is required for this recipe. If you substitute whisky for bourbon, thats fine. It’s just called a Rob Roy rather than a Manhattan.
Confusingly if you over hear someone ordering a ‘Perfect Manhattan’ then they’re ordering a different drink. It’s not a Manhattan made so well that it’s ‘perfect’. It’s a different recipe that also uses dry Vermouth along with sweet Vermouth, I’ll post a recipe of it soon.
Recipe
The ingredients always stay the same, but some people use different ratios. I stick to the 2-1-2 ratio, which is also the area code for Manhattan.
Combine the following in a mixing glass with ice.
- Two measures rye whisky (50ml)
- One measure Sweet Vermouth (25ml)
- Two dashes of bitters. Angosturas is fine.
Strain into a chilled coup. Garnish with a preserved cherry.