Manhattan

Why This Recipe Works

Created sometime in the late 1800s, somewhere in Manhattan (possibly at the Manhattan Club, near the current site of the Empire State Building), the major-league, spirit-forward Manhattan is traditionally made from rye, sweet vermouth, and old-fashioned aromatic bitters, garnished with a cocktail cherry. It's infinitely customizable according to the drinker's preference. We loved rye because of how its dry, spicy brashness offset the fruitier sweetness of the vermouth. However, nowadays bourbon is an equally popular choice for the main spirit, and if you choose to go this route you will have a slightly fuller-bodied cocktail with more caramel notes. After deciding on rye, we tested our way through varying amounts of sweet vermouth. The original recipe called for equal parts rye and vermouth, but most modern recipes use more whiskey than vermouth, and tasters agreed this made a more balanced cocktail. The addition of the old-fashioned aromatic bitters helped marry the peppery rye and sweet vermouth for an ultimately strong but smooth cocktail.