Manhattan
We’ll jump into some historical goodness on the smooth-as-heck Manhattan cocktail recipe in a second, but first, here are a few other classic whiskey cocktails we think you’ll enjoy: the Old Fashioned, the Whiskey Sour, the Irish Coffee, the Boulevardier, and the Flaming 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse. OK, now onto the history of the Manhattan, which, like so many other cocktails’ histories, is ambiguous as heck. Most sources point toward the drink being invented in the 1870s at the Manhattan Club in New York, but that’s probably the only truthful part of the whole story. As legend would have it, the Manhattan mixed drink recipe was created by Dr. Iain Marshall for a banquet hosted by Jennie Jerome — a.k.a. Lady Randolph Churchill a.k.a. mother of Winston Churchill. Supposedly Churchill’s mom was at the Manhattan Club to honor presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden. The only problem is, as the Manhattan cocktail Wiki points out, “Lady Randolph was in France at the time and pregnant, so the story is likely a fiction.” There is another origin story for the Manhattan cocktail as well, which says that the classic whiskey cocktail was invented in the 1860s by a man nicknamed “Black” who tended bar on Houston Street in Manhattan. Both the Manhattan cocktail recipe Wiki and TASTE Cocktails Magazine refer to this narrative, but we couldn’t find any good primary sources supporting it. Regardless of the exact story behind the invention of the Manhattan cocktail, it was definitely, y’know, first made somewhere in Manhattan. So you can take that little piece of Manhattan cocktail trivia knowledge to the bank. Fun Manhattan cocktail trivia side note: TASTE Cocktails points out that “People from the small North Frisian island of Fohr are passionate about the Manhattan cocktail and you will find that it is on the menu of most bars and restaurants.” Where is North Frisian? In Germany!
Related Drink Lists
Ingredients
Garnish: Cherry
Directions
- Fill serving glass with ice to chill and set aside.
- In an ice filled glass combine whiskey, sweet red vermouth and angostura bitters. Stir to mix.
- Discard ice from serving glass and drop cherry into base of glass.
- Strain mix into glass.
Tools
Coupe Glass
Basic Bar Tools
Tags
Trending Drinks
Scooby Snack Cocktail
Rokay, Raggy! Snack on this Mystery Machine-colored creamy cocktail with coconut rum, creme de banana, melon liqueur, pineapple juice, and whipped cream.
Bullfrog Cocktail
Get energized with this supercharged version of a Long Island Iced Tea. With four different liquors and an energy drink, this strong cocktail recipe is enough to keep you going all night long.
Spiked Pumpkin Spice Latte
Yaaaaaaaaas, Ashley! If you’re looking for one of the best vodka fall cocktails as an accessory for your fall outfit, this pumpkin cocktail is it.
Test Tube Shots
These test tube shots are sure to spice up your Halloween party. They’re some of the spookiest Halloween shots with Malibu, black vodka, and grenadine for “blood” that looks real af.
Apple Pie Shooter
It really is as easy as apple pie with this two ingredient vodka shot. All you need is vodka, apple juice, and a squirt of whipped cream if you’re feelin’ freaky.
Halloween Jungle Juice
This massive Halloween punch is perfect for your next Monster Mash. It’s a fruity but strong jungle juice recipe with everything but the kitchen sink.
Dr Pepper Bomb
If you’re a fan of parties and Dr Pepper, this bomb shot recipe is for you because the amaretto and cola taste almost like the real thing.
The Sleeping Beauty Cocktail
With this gorgeous layered Hpnotiq drink, who needs a Prince Charming? Add some Kinky Pink liqueur and lemon-lime soda for a vodka cocktail recipe both Flora and Merryweather can agree on.
Green Tea Shot
Go green with this Irish whiskey shot! Even though this Green Tea Shot doesn't actually contain green tea, it still somehow tastes as if it does.
LA Water
We promise this version of a long island recipe is tastier than it sounds. Raspberry, melon liqueur, and blue curacao give this deliciously strong cocktail a color that resembles, well… The LA River.