This cocktail can be tailored to your tastebuds!
The Manhattan cocktail is iconic for a reason. It has maintained its popularity for more than 150 years as a bar menu staple. Spirit-forward and boozy, it’s reliable, simple to construct and as cozy as wrapping up in a sweater. It’s also easily tailored to varying tastes with riffs on the original formula that have become classics themselves.
Named for the island on which it was created, the cocktail, like most, has a fuzzy origin story. It arose in the late 1800s at New York’s The Manhattan Club. The standard recipe—two parts rye whiskey and one part sweet vermouth—is a 2:1:2 ratio that is coincidentally the area code originally assigned to all of New York City. It required the fewest turns on a rotary phone, so it of course went to the biggest city.
A few slugs of rye, an ounce of vermouth and dashes of bitters, the drink veered from the usual concoction of spirit, sugar and bitters with the inclusion of fortified, aromatized wine. Vermouth, essentially wine with sugar and botanicals, added varying levels of bitter and herbaceous qualities to cocktails.
Arnette’s Chop Shop in Brookhaven had a private barrel of Knob Creek Rye specifically made for the Manhattan experience. It sips wonderfully over a large cube. While the traditional recipe calls for rye, the easiest swap is rye’s cousin, bourbon, for a fitting base. This version is less spicy, slightly sweeter and more mellow.
High proof takes a Manhattan to its most peerless state, allowing the rye to assertively punch through, giving it a little edge. At Buckhead’s Atlas, a Legendary Manhattan features Widow Jane 10-year-old straight bourbon whiskey, a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters and Cocchi Barolo Chinato, an aromatized wine with quinine bark, rhubarb, ginger and gentian.
Being such a stalwart of cocktail culture as well as a structure that lends itself to malleability, the Manhattan has inspired endless riffs.
Substitute Scotch whisky for rye, and you’ve got a Rob Roy. This combination creates a completely different—albeit still impeccably balanced—drink. The recipe puts emphasis on the whisky, letting it rise to the front. Blended Scotch is the usual choice for marrying sweet vermouth, since overly peated expressions often overtake the vermouth kicking things off balance. Local ASW Tire Fire Whiskey in a Manhattan makes a smoky sipper that works, especially in the fall.
To craft a Manhattan that is broody, bold and wonderfully complex, opt for a Black Manhattan, a twist that replaces sweet vermouth with amaro, typically Averna. The dark herbal liqueur flavors the cocktail with spice, floral and root essence that is even more sophisticated than the original.
In a Greenpoint cocktail, named for a New York neighborhood, rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and yellow chartreuse are stirred with a dash of Angostura and orange bitters. Created by Carthusian monks, yellow chartreuse swirls with honey, chamomile and anise flavors, making a more playful and intriguing version of a Manhattan.
A Brooklyn cocktail is a little more complex than a standard Manhattan. Dry vermouth replaces sweet with the addition of Italian Maraschino liqueur made from Marasca cherries. The original recipe called for French aperitif Amer Picon, but due to limited availability, bartenders often use Bigallet China-China instead.
Much like sitting along the banks of the Chattahoochee while enjoying dinner, Canoe’s Manhattan is a cherry-on-top situation. Served in a martini glass, it includes Whistle Pig 10-year rye, sweet vermouth, Cherry Heering and dashes of Angostura and Old Fashioned bitters.
Skilled barkeeps can easily mix up any of these versions and dozens more. Bonus: It’s a boon for encouraging conversation.
ARNETTE’S CHOP SHOP
arnetteschopshop.com
@arnetteschopshop
ATLAS
atlasrestaurant.com
@atlasbuckhead
CANOE
canoeatl.com
@canoeatl
