Best Bourbon Whiskeysfor A Manhattan
Said to have been created in 1880 in New York City , the Manhattan was traditionally crafted with Rye whiskey. Over the years, however, variables have been played with and new variations of the classic have been developed. One variation that has stuck around is the Bourbon Manhattan.
Eager to learn about the best bourbons to use when crafting your own spin on a Manhattan? Then youve come to the right place! Upon trying on several bourbons for size, below is my very own list of the best bourbons for a Manhattan.
Whether based on price, quality, taste, compatibility, or all of the above, you can rest assured that choosing any of the following will result in a fantastically crafted bourbon Manhattan.
First, however, how DO you make a Manhattan? While there are several ways and creative spins that you can put on this infamous cocktail, its important to start with the basics.
Woodford Double Oaked Bourbon
This bourbon product from Brown-Forman Corporation uses the same process as Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon up until the aging process. It draws an extra deep flavor from its secondary finishing using toasted and charred barrels for another six to twelve months.
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked bourbon is perfect for dessert cocktail enthusiasts as it has a delectable sweetness of chocolate, vanilla, cherries, and brown sugar. But its gentle bitterness and long oaky finish are delicious blends in bourbon Manhattan, further enriching sweet vermouth and bitters.
Read:
Is An Old Fashioned Or Manhattan Sweeter
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There is no definitive answer to this question as it is largely a matter of personal preference. Some people find that an old fashioned is sweeter, while others find that a manhattan is sweeter. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide which drink is sweeter.
The Manhattan and Old Fashioned are two drinks that you should know what they are. The Manhattan contains some of the same ingredients as both of these whiskey-based cocktails. Theyre both made with bitters, which are bitter on their own but lightly sweetened in the cup. The Old Fashioned is garnished with a cherry, orange peel, and orange juice. Manhattans are traditionally served in martini glasses, but some people prefer to avoid them. Simple syrup or sugar cubes are also used to sweeten some drinks. A Manhattan is made up of one part vermouth and one part whiskey.
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How To Make This Manhattan Cocktail Recipe
I hope you enjoy this bourbon cocktail as much as I do!
Top The Bourbon Manhattan With A Luxardo Cherry
Its not really a classic cocktail until youve added a garnish, right? The classic garnish for a Manhattan is not just any cocktail cherry: its a Luxardo cherry. This type of cocktail cherry is so dark red, it almost looks black. The flavor? Complex, fruity, and nutty almost like amaretto.
Top this Bourbon Manhattan with a Luxardo cherry, and youre in business. Where to find Luxardo cherries? Its easiest to get them online but you can also find them at liquor stores.
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The Manhattan: A Classic Cocktail
For those who enjoy a classic drink, its a must-have. Although it is most commonly stirred, some drinkers prefer to drink it on rocks. This classic cocktail is an excellent choice for high-rye bourbon, because it has a strong scent of sweet vermouth. Make sure to ask for it shaken only if you want it shaken that way, whether youre having it at home or at a bar.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
ABV: 64% 70 %
Average Price: Around $75
Flavor Profile:
Elijah Craig is a Kentucky Straight bourbon with rich tasting notes of butterscotch, classic vanilla, cinnamon spice, and black pepper.
How It Tastes With Ice:
Elijah Craig is a high-proof whiskey, making it one of the best bourbons to drink on the rocks. The caramel and vanilla notes are more pronounced with few drops of water, and the oakiness will be a little mustier.
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Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof
ABV: 56.4%
Average Price: Around $50
Flavor Profile:
Wild Turkey Rare Breed is bottled straight from oak barrels, and it contains rye grain so expect that every shot is warm, spicy, and has smoky-tasting notes. As we open a bottle of Wild Turkey, the rich and balanced aroma of honey, caramel, and vanilla linger on the nose.
How It Tastes With Ice:
Wild Turkey is one of the best bourbons to drink on the rocks or sip neat because it unpacks the candied fruits, nuts, dark spices, and molasses maltiness of the whiskey. It has a subtle touch of woody bitterness, but the baking spice makes the bourbon more enjoyable to drink.
Evan Williams Small Batch
Average Price: approx. $19.99 per 750ml
Alcohol Content: 45% ABV
Why We Like It: This expression lets you experience the combination of leather and vanilla, bringing forth warm and fresh-looking cornbread touched by oak.
We like the sweet and creamy flavors of the caramel apple with a short yet sweet finish and a touch of brown spice.
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Heres A Cheat Sheet For The Different Variations:
- A Manhattan is 2 oz. Rye or Bourbon 1 oz Sweet Vermouth and a few dashes of Angostura bitters.It is stirred in a bar glass and strained into a chilled cocktail glass and garnished with a cherry.
- A Dry Manhattan substitutes the Sweet Vermouth with Dry and the garnish is a lemon twist instead of a cherry.
- A Perfect Manhattan might sound like a challenge but it really just means a combination of Sweet and Dry Vermouth again with a lemon twist. The garnish rule is simple use Dry Vermouth at all and the garnish is lemon.
- A Rob Roy is a Manhattan made with Scotch. Same proportions but a different base.
- A Southern Comfort Manhattan is made with Southern Comfort, Dry Vermouth, and a lemon twist for garnish.
Last and not leastit can be served up or on the rocks. So many choices for just one little drink! For meI like the Perfect Manhattan sometimes straight up and sometimes on the rocksI like to mix it up depending on the weather.
I was asked if I would like to sample some Templeton Rye a small batch brew from a distillery in Iowa. Yes, you read that right, Iowa.
When I put a photo on Instagram of the new arrival, I was pleasantly surprised to see a response from someone who had just visited Iowa and came home with a bottle for herself.
She loved itand seems most reviewers do too. So, of course I thought it perfect for one of the few cocktails truly associated with Rye.
PIN IT! Perfect Manhattan Cocktail
- 2dashes of Angostura bitters
Bourbon Manhattan Cocktail Recipe
Crafting a Bourbon Manhattan at home is both easy and rewarding. Follow our recipe and craft the classic cocktail at home in just five minutes. Youll feel like youre at your favorite bar at 1am but without the drama.
The Manhattan cocktail has been on our radar for a while. But why?
Perhaps its because of our connection to the classic cocktails namesake city. Perhaps its because were partial to bourbon cocktails lately. Perhaps we just like this drink thats as tasty as it is iconic.
Considering how easy it is to craft a Manhattan at home, you may wonder why it took us so long. Seriously, its the 18th cocktail recipe that weve mastered and shared with our fellow lazy mixologists. Our response can be summed up in two words maraschino cherries.
The Manhattan is so classic that it requires just the right ingredients. One of those ingredients is maraschino cherries. But not just any maraschino cherries. As it turns out, procuring the right maraschino cherries isnt so easy to do in Lisbon during a pandemic.
After a little disappointment and a lot of patience, we secured the right maraschino cherries. And, finally, we have our version of the best Bourbon Manhattan recipe to prove it.
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Neat Straight Up On The Rocks: Bar Banter To Know
In this series we decipher the lexicon of bartending. First up: the basics of ordering booze.
Every industry has its own jargon. When alcohol is involved, there are subtle differences between up, straight up and neat now is the time to get your bartending terms straight while you’re still clear-headed.
Here are the basics to know when ordering your drinks:
Rachel Tan
Rachel Tan is the Associate Digital Editor at the MICHELIN Guide Digital. A former food magazine writer based in Singapore, she has a degree in communications for journalism but is a graduate of the school of hard knocks in the kitchen. She writes to taste life twice.
Should A Manhattan Be Shaken Or Stirred
The general rule is that liquor-only cocktails should be stirred rather than shaken. This applies to all Manhattans and martinis. However, rules are meant to be broken to fit your personal taste. Shaking a perfect Manhattan adds dilution and air to the cocktail, and some drinkers prefer the softer taste.
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Basil Haydens Small Batch Bourbon
Basil Haydens is the lightest bodied among the four small batch collections of Jim Beam. It creates an incredible balanced taste in the chilled coupe glass when mixed with Angostura bitters and dry vermouth.
Basil Haydens is a top choice among beginners to create a smoother and lighter Manhattan with a current recipe of 63% corn, 27% rye, and 10% malted barley. The high rye percentage on its mash bill is evident in its spicy flavor, along with peach, cherry, and red berries.
Its palate opened with a dry touch of rye spice and followed by hints of vanilla, cinnamon, and seasoned oak.
Michters Us*1 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Average Price: approx. $39.99 per 750ml
Alcohol Content: 45.7% ABV
Why We Like It: Another widely available bottle is Michters US*1 a Kentucky Bourbon we highly recommend to anyone who loves Scotch but wants to try something different.
Its the kind of whiskey that gets people hooked on the American way.
Theres no over-the-top or fussiness in this drink due to its nice layers of vanilla, maple, cedar, and tobacco.
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Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon
This bourbon contains a high percentage of corn mash at 78%, like Buffalo Trace bourbon.
This mash bill requires the whiskey to age from eight to twelve years, leaving it elegantly smooth despite being barrel-proof.
The brand took its name from a real Baptist reverend, Elijah Craig, one of the leading pioneers behind the use of charred barrels for bourbon aging .
The right flavor balance of vanilla, caramel, oak, and baking spices provides a stiff addition to traditional Manhattan or any dry cocktail.
Read:King of Kentucky Bourbon Guide
Four Roses Single Barrel
ABV: 50%
Average Price: Around $46
Flavor Profile:
Four Roses use high rye mash bill giving the whiskey a classic spiciness that you cannot taste in any corn-forward bourbon and price point. It is bottled straight and has a high cask strength, ready for a chunk of ice.
How It Tastes With Ice:
Four Roses is a top-shelf bourbon that is best to enjoy on the rocks because it helps open up the bourbon flavors.
You will taste cherry and plum notes with a long yet smooth finish. But should you really drink bourbon with ice?
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The Old Fashioned: New Yorks Signature Cocktail
What are some best drinks to drink in New York City? Its a time-honored, archetype cocktail that is revered and despised by many, but not by others. Despite a long history of flavor twists and adaptations, including many that have originated in New York City, it is no surprise that it is a classic NYC drink. What are the best drinks to have in New York City? According to State Symbol USA, the state symbol in New York, milk is the state drink because of this. In addition to being used for consumption, New York milk is also used to make butter, cheese, ice cream, and other processed products across the country. New York milk is the official state beverage of the state, and it was designated as such in 1981. What cocktail was named after a Brooklyn neighborhood? The Manhattan cocktail is a combination of whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters that is typically served in a glass. Only one of the five official cocktails is known to be an unforgettable cocktail, according to the IBAs official cocktail list.
History Of The Bourbon Manhattan Cocktail
Theres a reason why the classic 2-1-2 rule is used for a Bourbon Manhattan. The origin of many cocktails is lost in time. However, the classic Manhattan cocktail has evidence of some truth in its name.
The area code for Manhattan residence is 212 coincidentally, the ratio used to make the famous cocktail. According to TASTE Cocktails, one of the many theories of the Manhattans origin is that it was created in the early 1880s when Dr. Iain Marshall came up with the recipe for a party that was held at the Manhattan Club in New York City. It is said that Winston Churchills mother, Lady Randolph Churchill, held the party that popularized the cocktail.
Today, many believe the Manhattans origin to be a tale. History suggests that Lady Randolph Churchill would have been pregnant with Winston at the time, debunking the idea of his mother partying in New York. Others suggest the Manhattan was invented by a man going by the name of Black, who lived a few homes away from a bar on Broadway near Houston Street.
However history spins its origin, the classic Manhattan recipe remains the same. 2 ounces of whiskey, 1 ounce of sweet Vermouth, and 2 dashes of bitters. However, the Manhattan can also take alternate forms by using various whiskey types, including bourbon and Canadian whisky.
Now, we take on a new riff on nearly 150 years of tradition with the Bourbon Manhattan and its many variants.
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Four Roses Small Batch
Four Roses offer a new way to enjoy the perfect Manhattan cocktail minus the intense flavors that many beginners find unpleasant. It has ten unique recipes from five different yeast strains and two different mash bills, making Four Roses stand out among other bourbon brands.
Living up to its name, Four Roses elicits floral, honey, and herbs flavor profiles instead of the usual caramel, toffee, and vanilla of standard Kentucky bourbon. It mellows down sweet vermouth and bitters while enhancing the underlying spiciness of Manhattan without sacrificing the original taste.
Makers Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
Average Price: approx. $21 per 750ml
Alcohol Content: 45% ABV
Why We Like It: Available in most liquor stores, this is a great bottle for a great price.
While not as impressive as some of the worlds best whiskeys, it still manages to get the job done with its impeccable on-the-rocks pour and Manhattan-base character.
The mellow hints of sour cherry and dried grains are followed by salted caramel with a dash of spice on the palate.
The finish is a bit lighter, with notes of dark cherry and soft spices.
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Classic Whiskey Manhattan Recipe With Variations
The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
| Potassium 65mg | 1% |
| *The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
One of the finest and oldest cocktails, the Manhattan is truly a classic cocktail. It is a simple drink recipe of just a few ingredients: whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. You can choose between rye whiskey and bourbon, though some drinkers still prefer a smooth Canadian whisky. There is no doubt, however, that this is one of the essential whiskey cocktails that everyone should know.
The Manhattan is whiskey-forward, with the vermouth adding smooth, spiced sweetness and the bitters adding a little punch. As with the gin martini, there are many ways that you can adapt this classic recipe to your personal taste. It has also inspired countless variations, but before you give those a taste, it’s best to start off with the original.
What’s In A Manhattan
A classic Manhattan is made with bourbon or rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Originally, the Manhattan was made with rye whiskey. With the ban on liquor during Prohibition, rye was replaced with easier to get Canadian whiskey.
Canadian whiskey is smoother and lighter than rye. Despite the change, the cocktail was as popular as ever. After Prohibition, many bars started making the drink with bourbon since it is closer in flavor to Canadian whiskey.
I’m a fan of bourbon for this cocktail, so to make it, you’ll need:
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