Manhattan Cocktail Recipes
The Manhattan cocktail is perhaps one of the most ubiquitous cocktails out there—gracing the cocktail menu at countless establishments—and for good reason. It’s delicious. It’s also approachable. The Manhattan is a classic cocktail that traditionally uses just a few simple ingredients: whiskey, vermouth and bitters.
The origin of the Manhattan is debatable, as is often the case with classic cocktails, but it is widely believed that the original recipe included more ingredients than the classic Manhattan recipe known today. It is also widely suspected that the original Manhattan was made with rye whiskey and not bourbon. As you might imagine, rye whiskey and bourbon offer very different flavors, which lends to some distinctive Manhattan recipes.
Just as you might choose between bourbon or rye in your Manhattan, you can also create unique Manhattan riffs (or variations) based on the vermouth and bitters you choose. When it comes to vermouth, a sweet vermouth may be traditional, but a dry vermouth can also be used. While Angostura Bitters are a popular choice in Manhattans, some recipes may call for orange bitters, or even Peychaud’s bitters.
As you consider the three basic ingredients of whiskey, vermouth and bitters, it becomes clear that there are an incredible amount of cocktail recipes out there which riff on a Manhattan. For example, the popular Brooklyn cocktail recipe combines rye whiskey with dry vermouth. Check and check. Instead of bitters, however, here we add Bigallet China China, a liqueur with warm orange aromatics. And rather than just a cherry garnish, the Brooklyn also includes some Luxardo Maraschino liqueur.
At Mad River Distillers, we love Manhattan cocktails! To celebrate this delicious, approachable, but also versatile drink, we wanted to share our favorite Manhattan (and Manhattan inspired) recipes:
Mad River Distillers Manhattan Cocktail Recipes
RYE MANHATTAN
A very classic Manhattan cocktail recipe using our Revolution Rye Whiskey. Compare the flavor of this recipe to a Manhattan using another rye whiskey, and you will definitely taste the difference!
-2 oz. Mad River Distillers Revolution Rye Whiskey
-1 oz Sweet Vermouth
-2 dashes Angostura Bitters
-1 Luxardo Cherry
Shake the rye, sweet vermouth, and bitters with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass, and garnish with a Luxardo cherry.
THE PERFECT MANHATTAN
What could be more perfect than a perfect Manhattan? Yeah, we can't think of anything, either.
-2 oz Mad River Distillers Bourbon Whiskey
-1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
-1/2 oz Carpano Bianco
-2 dashes Regan's Orange Bitters
-2 dashes Angostura Bitters
-1 Luxardo cherry
In a mixing glass, combine all ingredients over ice. Stir for 8-12 seconds. Strain contents into a chilled Manhattan coupe, and garnish with a Luxardo cherry.
BOURBON MANHATTAN
A bourbon Manhattan cocktail recipe using Cocchi di Torino for the sweet vermouth, and barrel-aged bitters.
-2 oz Mad River Distillers Bourbon Whiskey
-1 oz Cocchi di Torino
-4 dashes The Bitter Housewife Barrel-Aged Bitters
-1 Luxardo cherry
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass over ice. Stir for 8-12 seconds. Strain contents into a chilled Manhattan Coupe glass, and garnish with a cherry.
BROOKLYN
A cousin to the popular Manhattan cocktail, this delicious Brooklyn cocktail combines our Revolution Rye with Dolin Dry Vermouth, Bigallet China China and Luxardo Maraschino.
-2 oz Mad River Distillers Revolution Rye Whiskey
-1 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
-1/2 oz Bigallet China China
-1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
-1 Luxardo cherry
Add ice to a coupe glass to chill. In a mixing glass, combine the Revolution Rye, Dolin Dry Vermouth, Bigallet China China, and Luxardo Maraschino. Add ice to the mixing glass, and stir for about 30 seconds. Remove the ice from the coupe glass. Strain the contents of the mixing glass into the chilled coupe, and add a Luxardo cherry for garnish.
RED HOOK
Similar to a classic Manhattan, this cocktail features a delicious combination of our Revolution Rye, Punt e Mes vermouth, Luxardo Maraschino, and Bennett Cocktail Bitters.
-2 oz Mad River Distillers Revolution Rye Whiskey
-1/2 oz Punt e Mes vermouth
-1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino
-3 dashes Bennett Cocktail Bitters
-1 Luxardo cherry
Add ice to a coupe glass and a little water, and let the glass chill while you mix your cocktail. Combine Revolution Rye, Luxardo Maraschino, Punt E Mes, and Bennett Cocktail Bitters to a mixing glass. Add ice to the mixing glass, and stir for about 15 seconds. Remove ice and water from coupe glass. Strain the cocktail into the coupe glass, and garnish with a Luxardo cherry.
As mentioned above, some Manhattan riffs use Peychaud’s bitters. In this variation, Rye or Bourbon and sweet vermouth join forces with Peychaud’s and a couple other distinctive additions.
-1 oz Mad River Distillers Revolution Rye Whiskey or Bourbon Whiskey
-1 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
-1 oz Benedictine
-3 Dashes Peychaud's Bitters
-1 scant barspoon of Absinthe
-1 Luxardo cherry
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir for 15-30 seconds, or until well chilled. Strain contents into a coupe or martini glass, and garnish with a cherry.
This NYC new-age Manhattan riff splits sweet vermouth with the herbal, honey-like flavor of Yellow Chartreuse.
-2 oz Mad River Distillers Revolution Rye Whiskey or Bourbon Whiskey
-1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
-1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
-Dash Angostura Bitters
-Dash Orange Bitters
-Lemon peel
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with lots of ice. Stir for 15-30 seconds, or until well chilled. Strain contents into a coupe or martini glass. With a lemon peel, express the oil over the drink, and rub the lemon peel around the rim of the glass, then discard the lemon peel, and enjoy!
Did we mention you could make a Manhattan riff without bourbon or rye? Here, our award-winning demerara sugar based PX Rum replaces whiskey for a one-of-a-kind Manhattan riff.
-1 oz Mad River Distillers PX Rum
-1 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
-1/2 oz Nocino Liqueur
-1/2 oz Fino Sherry
-5 dashes orange bitters
-Orange peel
In a mixing glass, combine the PX Rum, Carpano Antica, Nocino Liqueur, Fino Sherry, and orange bitters. Add ice to the mixing glass, and stir for at least 30 seconds. Strain contents into the coupe glass. Express an orange peel over the top of the cocktail, then rub the peel around the edge of the glass. Discard the peel, and enjoy!
This list of recipes just cracks the surface on the Manhattan variations you can find out there. There are so many ways you can create a new Manhattan flavor just by experimenting with new brands of vermouth or bitters, or even by playing with ratios. If you’ve yet to try all the Manhattan cocktails in this list, we hope you find a new favorite here, and we’d love to hear from you if you do!
Happy mixing!
Written by Brianne Lucas and published on October 11, 2022.
