All About the Manhattan

The Manhattan is a cocktail classic that goes beyond being just a drink. It's a recipe recognized around the globe and a solid choice for the days you can't decide what to order.

The Manhattan is one of the five standard drinks listed in David A Embury's "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks" (1948). It consists of whiskey or Bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters mixed with ice and strained into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora. Top it off with a true maraschino cherry garnish (or squeeze a lemon twist if you don't have a cherry), and you've got yourself an American classic.

You may recognize the similarity to the last cocktail we discussed, the Old Fashioned. Indeed, the Manhattan was once one of those "new-fangled" drinks that Old Fashioned drinkers despised because Sweet Vermouth, a new addition to the cocktail game, was put in the mix. Indeed, you could describe the Manhattan as a magical marriage of a vermouth cocktail and an old-fashioned cocktail.

So who made the first Manhattan? Once again, there are many tales of this cocktail's origin, many claims for the source. Most notably, a story Winston Churchill's mother, which David Wondrich revealed to be a bunch of nonsense. Most mixologists agree that its origins are rooted in Manhattan, New York. In the 1870s, we get references to cocktails created at the Manhattan Club, possibly the origin spot, but The Manhattan does not appear in print until 1882 in the Olean (New York) Democrat.

It was initially concocted with Rye, as that would have been the popular spirit in New York during that era. During Prohibition, American whiskey was challenging to come by, and Canadian whiskey would often serve as a substitute. Yes, if you prefer Bourbon, you can order a Manhattan with it. We like to stick to the classic Rye whiskey, maybe switching it up every now and then to a Perfect Manhattan.

We can all agree that The Manhattan is timeless, classy, cherished, and trustworthy. The variations are endless and enjoyable as well. Watch the video above to learn how to make the Classic recipe. Enjoy!