A Manhattan cocktail requires only three ingredients: whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Angostura bitters, plus a sweet cherry garnish. Purists will argue that rye whiskey is the non-negotiable spirit of choice to use—it lends a spicy, slightly smoky flavor—but those who prefer a more mellow, smooth cocktail can swap in bourbon.

Instructions. Fill a mixing glass a few inches high with ice. Add the whiskey, vermouth and bitters. Stir in a circular motion for about 30 seconds, or until the drink is very cold (if you’d like a drink with less bite, stir longer). Strain the liquid into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry. Enjoy.

The story goes that Dr. Iain Marshall created the cocktail for a banquet hosted by Winston Churchill's mother, Lady Randolph Churchill, in honor of presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden, who months later lost the 1876 presidential election in what is known by historians as "The Corrupt Bargain".Over the years building our whiskey company from the ground up, we've had an opportunity to ...

The Black Manhattan was created in 2005 at San Francisco bar Bourbon & Branch by bartender Todd Smith. It’s a simple variation on the classic Manhattan, with bittersweet Averna amaro replacing the sweet vermouth and with a second type of bitters added. These adjustments result in a heavier and slightly more bitter rendition of its forebear, with additional depth of flavor from the amaro’s ...

Step 1: Fill a martini glass with ice to chill it. Step 2: Place the bourbon, vermouth, and bitters in a bar shaker. Cover with plastic wrap. Insert the rubber tube of a smoking gun in the shaker and smoke for 4 minutes. Repeat once more. Step 3: Add smoked ice cubes and stir the mixture vigorously for 30 seconds.

The Manhattan cocktail goes all the way back to the 1870’s, so it’s older than many cocktails that sprung up in the 1920’s and 30’s. The story goes that the drink was invented at a club called The Manhattan Club in New York City, hence the name.