Manhattan Cocktail

The Manhattan cocktail calls for rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. The combination has remained in fashion for nearly a century and a half, cementing its place as one of the world’s most popular and enduring mixed drinks. 

Part of the cocktail’s allure is its simplicity. Though proportions can be tweaked to the drinker’s taste, the Manhattan largely adheres to the standard 2:1 liquor-to-vermouth ratio common to the spirit-forward category of cocktails. While the drink is traditionally made with a rye whiskey base, bourbon has become a commonly accepted substitute.

Like many classic cocktails, the history of the Manhattan drink is murky at best. Anecdotal tales seem to indicate that it started to appear around the 1870–80s, often stated to be at the Manhattan Club in New York City. From there, things spiral. One common story claims that the drink was created for Winston Churchill’s mother, Lady Randolph Churchill, but records show she probably wasn’t even in New York at the time. Other stories tie the drink’s origins back to another guest of the club, while bartenders at different Manhattan establishments have also claimed credit.

Part of the confusion may have to do with the uncomplicated composition of the drink itself — a base liquor mixed with half as much vermouth and a couple dashes of bitters — which was found in several drinks of the era. The Martini is a prime example, while the Martinez was detailed in O.H. Byron 1884 book The Modern Bartender’s Guide as “Same as Manhattan, only you substitute gin for whisky.” Even in the 19th century, the practice of bartenders to swap one ingredient just to invite a whole new name for a drink was well established.

What makes the Manhattan such a popular drink?

Simplicity is key in a Manhattan — with three ingredients, a jigger to measure your pours, and no need for any advanced technique, almost anyone can make a perfectly delicious version of the drink. 

The composition of the Manhattan ties the Whiskey Cocktail, one of the oldest cocktails in the modern era of bartending, also dating to the 1800s. Originally just a pour of whiskey sweetened with sugar and flavored with aromatic bitters, the Whiskey Cocktail saw an era of ingredient swaps and bartenders who substituted the sugar or bitters with similar elements to create custom versions. This experimentation eventually led the original Whiskey Cocktail to become known by its modern name, the Old Fashioned. 

One of these riffs, the Manhattan is essentially just an Old Fashioned with an ounce of sweet vermouth swapped in place of a sugar cube, as well as rye whiskey, which was favored by New Yorkers of the era. Rye whiskey usually leans more heavily into dry peppery notes but loses some of the rounded sweetness of bourbon, so sweet vermouth helps to shore this up by balancing the whiskey with flavors of dark red fruit, citrus, and spice. The Manhattan’s signature maraschino cherry garnish then ties these elements together.