Kim Laidlaw

Classic: Manhattan

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Preparation info
  • Makes

    1

    Drink
    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in
Spirits of '76: Celebrating 250 Years with Cocktails from Every State
Spirits of '76

By Kim Laidlaw

Published 2026

  • About

The Manhattan first appeared in the 1870s, likely at a New York City bar rather than the famed Manhattan Club, despite popular legend. Blending American rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters, the cocktail captured the city’s energy—elegant yet strong—and quickly became a fixture of New York’s golden age of cocktails.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces rye whiskey
  • 1 ounce sweet vermouth
  • 2 dashes<

Method

Half-fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the rye whiskey, vermouth, and bitters and, using a bar spoon, stir well. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the cherry and serve.