A Manhattan cocktail is traditionally made with Rye Whisky and sweet vermouth though Canadian whiskey is also acceptable as an alternative to the Rye. As is usually the case with many of the cocktails that have a long and illustrious history, there are many variations of the initial classic version which are also worth investigating. If you are using a shot glass to measure consider they are usually 1.5 ounces though there is quite a bit of variation so check. Your shot glass size may vary from one and a half ounces, but the recipes below will work as long as you keep the correct proportions.
Manhattan Drink Ingredients
- 2 ounces of Rye Whisky
- 1 ounce of the Sweet Vermouth
- Dash of Angostura bitters
- 1 Maraschino Cherry for garnish
Traditional Manhattan cocktail recipe
Preparation (stirred and strained into a Martini glass)
- Put ice cubes in the martini shaker to chill the shaker
- Add 2 ounces of your favorite Rye Whisky into the shaker
- Add 1 ounce of Sweet Vermouth into the shaker
- stir the ingredients very well.
- Put a generous dash of the angostura bitter into a chilled martini glass and swirl it
- around so that the bitters coat the glass
- Strain the contents of the martini shaker into the glass
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry
Variations of the Classic Manhattan Cocktail
The Manhattan Cocktail has several variations that are also delicious if you are ready to try something a little different.
Often, the variation versions involve just switch one of the main ingredients with an another maintaining the proportions. popular variations include:
Royal Manhattan:
Use Canadian Whisky instead of the Rye Whisky
Dry Manhattan:
Use dry vermouth instead of the sweet vermouth. Also, substitute the garnish with a lemon twist instead of the maraschino cherry
Cuban Manhattan:
Use Dark Rum instead of the Rye Whisky
Brandy Manhattan:
Use Brandy instead of the Rye Whisky
One variations of the Manhattan cocktail with slightly different proportions than the classic version but with the same ingredients is the Perfect Manhattan drink. A Perfect Manhattan uses equal parts of Rye Whisky and Sweet Vermouth.
Enjoy!