But like we said, that’s just the baseline Manhattan cocktail. There are many ways to vary the results, with a few tweaks creating a whole new experience. For example, you could add orange bitters to the mix to add an extra bite.
But more fundamental changes to the Manhattan cocktail recipe will find you enjoying a whole lot of different plays on the theme. For example, you can split the vermouth portion of the recipe into one part sweet vermouth, and one part dry. This will make what they call the Perfect Manhattan.
And it can get even more intense? Flip the portions of whiskey and vermouth — in other words, two parts vermouth to one part whiskey. This will have you end up with a much brighter end product called the Reverse Manhattan.
Here’s a couple of super-simple variations to play with. First, make the vermouth part all sweet and splash in Maraschino cherry juice from the jar, and you’ve got a Sweet Manhattan. Or take the baseline recipe and make Scotch the whiskey part of the ingredients, and now you’re drinking a Rob Roy!
By now, you’re starting to get the idea. The Manhattan cocktail is perfect because of its simplicity and openness to tinkering, always ready to add new members to its family. Famous brands like Hennessey will even show you how to do it with cognac. Welcome to the larger world of the Manhattan cocktail recipe!
