Manhattan
Robert Simonson
1160 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
1,160
Bourbon: Manhattan
- Total Time
- 2 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 2tablespoons sweet vermouth
- Garnish: Maraschino cherry
- ice
- ¼cup whiskey
Preparation
- Step 1
Add 2 tablespoons sweet vermouth to the ice and whiskey and gently stir; strain into a glass. Garnish: Maraschino cherry.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
MTM
Use Luxardo cherries - you won't believe what a difference these cherries make vs. your standard Maraschinos.
Kim
Adding a few drops of Agnostura bitters makes this perfect.
Jim R
Not sure why these strange measurements--2 Tablespoons and 1/4 cup. 2 Tablespoons is 1 oz; 1/4 cup is 2 oz. Simple--2:1 ratio, the perfect ratio for me, but pls experiment to find yours. More important--if a manhattan doesn't have bitters, send it back. Again, experiment--Peychaud's, Fee Brothers or Bitterman orange bitters, Hudson's ginger, Woodford Reserve makes a good bitters for a manhattan. Check the Meadow on Hudson for lots of choices. And NEVER maraschino cherries.
JGL
Try bourbon soaked Bing cherries for your next Manhattan!! Look for recipes on internet.
KC
3 oz good bourbon (Woodford Reserve, Elijah Craig, Blantons, etc) 1 oz sweet vermouth (Antica Formula, Dolin Rouge; don't buy the cheap stuff) 3 dashes Angostura bitters Combine in a tall glass with plenty of ice; stir for 30 seconds, strain into a lowball glass or martini glass Serve with 2-3 Luxardo cherries on a pick Sublime!
inky
The best sweet vermouth to my taste is made by Ransom Wine Co in Oregon. The list of 24 botanical ingredients on the label is a delight. After sampling other bourbons, I came back to Maker's Mark - a softer profile with caramel/vanilla hints. I also use Peychaud's bitters. Luxardo cherries are lovely, but sometimes they seem a bit "heavy" and weigh the cocktail down (if that makes any sense) I alternate between them and Bada Bing from Tillen Farms.
Ron
I use a 3:2 ratio, 1 dash of orange bitters, 2 dashes of Woodford spiced cherry bitters and a Luxardo cherry. I call it Christmas in Manhattan.
Cambridge mixologist
Cocktail recipes are all about proportions / ratios of ingredients. I’ve never seen a Manhattan (or any other cocktail) recipe that mixes cups and tablespoons. Please, stick to ounces or millimeters, with a dash mixed in when necessary.
Crocs
I never liked a Manhattan until now. Turns out three is the magic number: 3:1 bourbon to vermouth (1.5/0.5 oz) over ice, with 3 dashes of Angostura bitters and 3 bing cherries I'd soaked in the bourbon for 3 days. Eureka!
Bone Doctor BBQ
Top shelf bourbon. Go easy on the bitters. High quality sweet vermouth is only Antica for me. Luxardo cherries.
mmccreery
I use Griottines - French Morello Cherries in Kirsch and Brandy Liqueur, more tart and better texture than Luxardo.
Katie
I like to put a teaspoon of Brandied Fruit in the glass and give it a stir. You can find the recipe on this app.
MarkG
Since moving to the south I have been making my manhattans with bourbon. I have also been on a mission to educate bartenders who think the red vermouth in this drink is akin to the way many martini drinkers like white vermouth- just a dash or a swirl in the glass before adding the vodka or gin. To me the correct ratio is 2 parts whiskey of choice, one part red vermouth, dash of bitters. The Luxardo cherries are a must and my secret ingredient is to mix in a teaspoon of the juice from the jar.
George from NJ
I agree that Angostura bitters makes it - but I’d add several dashed to counter the sweetness of the vermouth. Also, I’d put in a shaker with ice, strain & serve in a martini glass....then add the cherry. Fancier....
rebg
Make it a 'perfect Manhattan' by displacing some (1/3 to 1/2) of the sweet vermouth with dry vermouth. Still the same total amount of vermouth - adds complexity, yum.
inky
The best sweet vermouth to my taste is made by Ransom Wine Co in Oregon. The list of 24 botanical ingredients on the label is a delight. After sampling other bourbons, I came back to Maker's Mark - a softer profile with caramel/vanilla hints. I also use Peychaud's bitters. Luxardo cherries are lovely, but sometimes they seem a bit "heavy" and weigh the cocktail down (if that makes any sense) I alternate between them and Bada Bing from Tillen Farms.
coastalcutt
+1 on the Bada Bings from Tillen Farms. By far better and with a more-nuanced flavor than tasteless maraschinos or the mummified Luxardos. The 13 oz. jars are a bit hard to find and pricey at about $10-$11 each. I resorted to buying them in a 3-pack from Amazon until I found that Stonewall Kitchens sells them (also on Amazon) in a restaurant-sized 72 oz. jar for just $35 - the same price as 3 small jars.
KC
3 oz good bourbon (Woodford Reserve, Elijah Craig, Blantons, etc) 1 oz sweet vermouth (Antica Formula, Dolin Rouge; don't buy the cheap stuff) 3 dashes Angostura bitters Combine in a tall glass with plenty of ice; stir for 30 seconds, strain into a lowball glass or martini glass Serve with 2-3 Luxardo cherries on a pick Sublime!
HM
Who the heck measures cocktail ingredients by the cup, or portions thereof?
HM
"1/4 cup whiskey"? "2 tablespoons sweet vermouth"? Thank God for Wolfram Alpha to confirm that this is, at least, accurate. And isn't this about Bourbon... why confuse it with the ambiguous "whiskey". For everyone who wants it comprehensible, it's 2 oz. Bourbon (or Rye), 1 oz. sweet vermouth, bitters.
JGL
Try bourbon soaked Bing cherries for your next Manhattan!! Look for recipes on internet.
Sherry
Stonewall Kitchen sells bourbon soaked cherries if you don't want to make your own.
Jim R
Not sure why these strange measurements--2 Tablespoons and 1/4 cup. 2 Tablespoons is 1 oz; 1/4 cup is 2 oz. Simple--2:1 ratio, the perfect ratio for me, but pls experiment to find yours. More important--if a manhattan doesn't have bitters, send it back. Again, experiment--Peychaud's, Fee Brothers or Bitterman orange bitters, Hudson's ginger, Woodford Reserve makes a good bitters for a manhattan. Check the Meadow on Hudson for lots of choices. And NEVER maraschino cherries.
Mike Czechowski
Yeah, if you're gonna make cocktails, you really need a measuring jigger. Mine has 1/2, 3/4, 1, & 1-1/2 ounce marks on it. I think it cost me 50¢ at Goodwill. This covers just about all common drink measures - you might have to measure twice, like for the 2 ounces of "whiskey" in this recipe.
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