Manhattan
Courtesy of Schiller’s Liquor Bar in New York City, this is “Professor” Jerry Thomas’s original recipe for the celebrated Manhattan cocktail. Working as a bartender and saloon owner in the mid- to late nineteenth century, Thomas was renowned for mixing drinks with great showmanship and is still considered the godfather of the New York cocktail craft.
What makes this recipe different from a traditional Manhattan is the proportion of sweet vermouth to rye whiskey and the addition of orange-flavored liqueur. These subtle variations give this cocktail a sweetness that makes it more palatable and complex.
Ingredients
- 3/4 fl. oz. (23 ml) rye whiskey
- 1 3/4 fl. oz. (53 ml) sweet vermouth
- 1/4 fl. oz. (8 ml) Grand Marnier
- 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
- Ice as needed
- 1 lemon twist for garnish
Directions
Pour the rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, Grand Marnier and bitters into a mixing glass.
Add ice and stir well with a bar spoon for 40 to 45 revolutions.
Strain into a chilled 5-fl.-oz. (160-ml) martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist. Serves 1.
Adapted from Schiller’s Liquor Bar Cocktail Collection: The Bartender’s Guide, by Keith McNally & Richard Bubbico (Clarkson Potter, 2013).