Manhattan

Whiskey cocktail · Stirred

Manhattan

Rye, sweet vermouth and bitters. Dark, rich and grown up.

  • Time5 minutes
  • SkillEasy
  • Serves1
  • GlassNick & Nora or coupe
  • Kits from£69.44
Build your kit Jump to the recipe

A little history

Where it comes from

The story everyone tells is that the Manhattan was created in the 1870s for a banquet at New York's Manhattan Club, hosted by Jennie Jerome, Winston Churchill's mother. It's a great tale, but she was in England at the time, about to give birth to Winston.

A more likely version puts it at a bar on Broadway in the 1860s. Either way, it was one of the first cocktails to use vermouth, which was new and fashionable in America, and it became the template for the Martini and a whole family of stirred drinks.

What you need

  • 50ml Rye or bourbon whiskey In your kit
  • 25ml Sweet vermouth In your kit
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters In your kit
  • 1 Cocktail cherry, or a strip of orange peel From your kitchen
  • Plenty Ice From your kitchen

Team tip

Rye makes it spicier, bourbon makes it sweeter. Try both and pick a side.

Build your kit
Three levels, from £69.44

How to make it

  1. 1

    Chill your glass in the freezer for 10 minutes.

  2. 2

    Fill a mixing glass or jug with ice. Add the whiskey, vermouth and bitters.

  3. 3

    Stir for about 30 seconds. Don't shake it. You want it silky and clear.

  4. 4

    Strain into your chilled glass.

  5. 5

    Drop in a cherry, or squeeze orange peel over the top.

Garnish: A cocktail cherry or orange twist

Best with

What to eat with it

Steak

The Manhattan is a steakhouse drink. Rich meat, rich cocktail.

Blue cheese

Salty, creamy cheese next to sweet vermouth works like port and Stilton.

Roast duck

Fatty, slightly sweet meat with a dark, spicy drink.

Your Manhattan kit

1Choose your level

Every kit has whiskey, sweet vermouth and Angostura, enough for around 14 Manhattans.

2Swap the bottle if you like

3Add the extras

Try a twist

Perfect Manhattan

Split the vermouth between sweet and dry for a lighter, drier drink.

Rob Roy

Use Scotch instead of rye. Smoother, with a hint of smoke.

Black Manhattan

Swap the vermouth for a bittersweet Italian amaro.

Please enjoy responsibly. Over 18s only. For the facts, visit drinkaware.co.uk.