Manhattan Cocktail

Like so many old classic cocktails, the origin of the Manhattan is unclear.

However, few stories and legends were published around the 1900's in many bar books.

We can say this famous classic is born at the end of the 19th century; the most popular legend about his origin is that would be created at the Manhattan Club in New York in November 1874 where was organized a banquet hosted by Jennie Jerome (mother of british prime minister

Winston Churchill) in honor of presidential candidate Samuel J.Tilden.

But we heard from David Wondrich (author of the best bar book 2008 Imbibe) while was held the banquet Lady C. was in England giving birth

to Winston!

So, we can doubt of this version but anyway it remain the most popular.

One more story by William F Mulhall (Bartender at the Hoffman house hotel from 1862 to 1915) who said the famous Manhattan was inventedby a man named Black who kept a sallon on Broadway just below Houston
street around 1860. Anyway around 1880 so many place claimed the invention of the Manhattan, it was really popular drink made in so many ways with Vermouth and Absinthe, sometimes Chartreuse or Maraschino
and Orange bitters , even later with different spirit as the variation that we all know today.

American cocktails, the street of Manhattan, it is a big city for a big city drink, like the town itself!!

Many cocktail books like Harry Jonhson, Jerry Thomas, Old Astoria, have printed their own recipe in their book, despit differences found his the potion recipes we can be sure :

A Manhattan without rye whiskey is not a Manhattan!

Beverage for businessmen, puritans and connoisseurs, whatever the first recipe was lost in time , the recipe was realised with rye whiskey, vermouth and bitters. The proportion of vermouth and Rye were slightly
various. The Manhattan tend to be dryer and dryer through the age.

In 1882, the democrat newspaper stated that every barkeepers in town knew the recipe. But there was certainly more than "One Original Recipe".
It was one of the first martini cocktail created and more than one hundred years later, it will believe the most famous cocktail with rye whiskey!

Immortalised in so many advertises or movies like Some Like it Hot starring Marylin Monroe.

Althought at the beginning it was consumed by gentlemen, but recently Sarah Jessica Parker claimed the Manhattan was one of her favourite drink which for her symbolized the Manhattan life!

We know as well this is a favourite drink of the IBA (International Bartender Association) and you will always find a Manhattan in all the bar worth this name, around the world .

Manhattan
Try a Manhattan with a martini rince absinthe (old school style) or a Perfect Manhattan with orange curacao or maraschino as JerryThomas book

What else? A dry Manhattan with a hint of chocolate liqueur, nuts or berries liqueur will be a nice combination. Manhattan remains for all bartenders a fantastic cocktail base for creation!

Shaken or stirred, straight up or on the rocks, maraschino cherry or fresh cherry macerated in any spirit or bitters, orange or lemon twist? Some people prefer the unimissable Sweet , some other the Dry even the Perfect or other variations, the legend surrounding his birth make this beverage only more delightful.

Here you will find different recipes from old cocktail books and modern too.

Manhattan cocktail from Jerry Thomas' The Bon Vivant's Companion
Use small bar glass
2 dashes of curacao or maraschino
One pony of rye whiskey (around 30ml)
One wineglass of vermouth (around 50ml)
3 dashes of bitters
Shake up well and strain into a claret glass. Put a quarter of a slice of lemon in a glass and serve. If customers prefers it very sweet, use also 2 dashes of gum syrup.


Manhattan Cocktail by Harry Craddock in Savoy Cocktail Book
1 dash angostura bitter
2/3 rye whiskey
1/3 sweet vermouth
Stir well and strain into a cocktail glass serve with a cherry


Perfect Manhattan cocktail by William Grimes author of Straight Up Or On The Rocks
1 1/2 ounces rye whiskey
1/4 ounce french vermouth
1/4 ounce sweet vermouth
1 dash angostura bitter
1 maraschino cherry(optionnal)
Pour liquid ingredients into an ice-filled shaker. Shake, then strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.


Dry Manhattan Cocktail by Angus Winchester author of The Bartender's Book
3 measures Rye Whiskey
1 measure French Vermouth
2 dashes of Curacao
Cocktail cherry
Stir the liquids over craked ice in a mixing glass and mix well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and decorate with a cocktail cherry.


Manhattan Cocktail by CultureBar

60 ml Sazerac Rye Whiskey
20ml Italian Martini vermouth rosso
2 dashes of Angostura Bitter 44.7%vol. from Trinidad and Tobago
1 cherry macerated in Kirsh, Sherry Brandy, Fernet Branca

Method: in a cold mixing glass or using the Throwing technique
Glass: chilled coupette
Garnish: cherry

Manhattan Cocktail by Marian Beke from Montgomeryplace
60 ml 100 proof American Rye
30 ml Sweet Vermouth
1 dash of each: orange (mix of German, Usa, Carribean and Dutch
bitters and house aromatic bitters)

Stir in a frozen mixing glass, serve in frozen coupette finish with orange peel and fresh cherry macerated in kirsh eau de vie and sugar syrup.


Manhattan Cocktail by Thierry Daniel from Paris, organisator of Cocktail Spirit
Rye Sazerac
Antica Formula
Aromatic bitters the bitter truth
Orange twist


Hudson Manhattan Cocktail from the parisian Bar le Forum by Xavier Laigle, Aberlour ambassador, and journalist for Cigares magazine


New Yorker's Hudson Manhattan Rye 92°proof.
This Small Batch 100% Rye Whiskey is distilled in the Tuthilltown Micro distillery since 2001
Carpano Antica Formula
Angostura bitter 44.7% vol. from Trinidad and Tobago
Stir in a frozen mixing glass and pour in a chilled martini glass
Garnish with a "cerise à l'eau de vie"