I’m a late comer to this cocktail – call it a lockdown revelation, but it’s currently my favourite tipple. Strong, warm and silky – the Manhattan is one of the dark spirit cocktails that effortlessly crosses the seasons.
Originating in…of course… Manhattan, sometime in the mid-late 1800’s, the original Manhattan was a mix of “American Whiskey, Italian Vermouth, and Angostura bitters”, and I guess my house classic doesn’t veer too far away from these original roots.
Glassware
I like to serve a Manhattan in coupe, a shallow, saucer shaped stemmed glass. My current favourite is the Riedel Bar Crystal Glass Nick & Nora set. At 140ml, they are slightly too small for the recipe below, but it means you can leave some in the cocktail shaker chilling while you drink the first glass.
I always put the glass in the freezer for 10 minutes before making the cocktail.
Ingredients
- 40ml of Starlino Italian sweet vermouth
- 80ml of Jack Daniels
- Dash of orange bitters
- Dash of Angostura Bitters
- Starlino cherry + juice to garnish
I’ve tried different variations of Bourbon, Rye and Vermouth brands, but this one comes out on top for me. The Starlino is an Italian sweet Vermouth di Torino, aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. It includes wormwood, cloves, vanilla, rhubarb, ginger, cinchona tincture, grape skin, raisins, bitter orange peel and other herbs and spices, and unlike some Vermouth, is not too bitter, so it balances well with the Kentucky-originating Jack.
Recipe
- Take one round, golf-ball-sized ice cube and place in cocktail shaker (square ice cubes are also fine – but bigger the better)
- Add the spirits and the bitters (you could also add cherry bitter here if you like)
- Stir until it’s nicely chilled
- Pour, either straight up or with the single ice cube, into a cocktail glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry and a tiny drizzle of cherry juice.
Sip and enjoy with a snack.
