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Classic Manhattan Recipe

By Cocktail Chart editors · Updated 2026-07-18 · ~2 min read

The Manhattan is whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters, stirred and served up. It is a two-to-one drink, which means the vermouth is a real ingredient rather than a rinse, and it rewards good bottles of both. If you like an Old Fashioned, this is the next one to learn.

Classic Manhattan

Prep5 min
Total time5 min
Servings1 cocktail
DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

  • 2 oz (60 ml) rye whiskey
  • 1 oz (30 ml) sweet (red) vermouth
  • 2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
  • Ice cubes, for stirring
  • 1 brandied cherry, to garnish

Instructions

  1. Fill a coupe or Martini glass with ice and water and set it aside to chill.
  2. Fill a mixing glass two-thirds with fresh ice cubes.
  3. Add the rye, sweet vermouth, and bitters.
  4. Stir smoothly for 25 to 30 seconds, until the outside of the mixing glass frosts.
  5. Empty the ice water from your serving glass.
  6. Strain the drink into the chilled glass.
  7. Garnish with a brandied cherry, dropped in rather than perched on the rim.

Contains 2 oz of whiskey plus an ounce of fortified wine, so it is a strong drink, comfortably stronger than it tastes once properly chilled.

Tips

  • Rye gives the drier, spicier Manhattan that the two-to-one ratio was built around. Bourbon works and makes a sweeter, softer drink, so drop the vermouth to 0.75 oz if you use it.
  • Keep opened vermouth in the fridge and treat 6 weeks as its useful life. A tired bottle is the most common reason a home Manhattan tastes flat and slightly sour.
  • Stir, do not shake. Shaking aerates the drink and leaves it cloudy with a thin, bruised texture.
  • Use a proper brandied cherry rather than a bright red maraschino. The cherry sits in the drink and its syrup genuinely changes the last few sips.

FAQ

What usually goes wrong?

Under-stirring. A Manhattan needs 25 to 30 seconds of contact with ice for the dilution that softens the whiskey, and 10 seconds leaves it hot and harsh.

How do I store it?

Drink immediately. Because it is served up with no ice in the glass, it warms noticeably within about 8 minutes.

Why do my times differ?

Ovens differ. Use the times as a guide and judge by how it looks and feels.

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