Manhattan

The Manhattan is one of those great classic cocktails whose origins are steeped in the hazy stories of drinkers from days gone by. It’s also a cocktail that bartenders love to play with.

Our version uses the classic 2 to 1 rye to vermouth ratio with the addition of a bing cherry to compliment the smokiness of the rye whiskey and is served on a big rock to keep everything ice cold.

In classic Manhattans, the sweet vermouth is the star bringing sweetness and complexity to the cocktail. If you’re interested in a cocktail with less sweetness and more balance try our Perfect Manhattan recipe that uses an equal amount of sweet and dry vermouth.

The drink is normally served neat with a maraschino cherry. Our preference is to serve it with a large globe of ice to keep it cold, without diluting it and to use a cherry that doesn’t make us think of nuclear meltdowns and clowns, let alone nuclear meltdowns caused by clowns.

For recipes like this check out our Classic Cocktail section.

Manhattan cocktail

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 1 cocktail

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 oz rye whiskey
• ▢ 1 oz sweet vermouth
• ▢ 2 dash Angostura bitters
• ▢ 1 Bada Bing cherry

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• ▢
  In a large glass mix good rye whiskey with sweet vermouth and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters. Add ice, stir, and strain into a cocktail glass. 
  

  Add a large chunk of ice and a Bada Bing cherry to garnish.
  

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Mark Hinds

A passionate writer, overly curious cook, and Umami's founder. Mark can often be found cooking for friends.