Manhattan cocktail: recipe at home

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

While spending time in bars and nightclubs, many people prefer to drink all kinds of alcoholic cocktails. Today we will consider the recipe for one of them. The Manhattan cocktail was first made in 1874, since then its ingredients have changed a bit. We will describe all possible variations of this drink in the article.

Cocktail history

Before talking about the Manhattan cocktail, you need to dive into the history of its creation. It is quite entertaining and has several versions.

According to one of them, the cocktail first appeared in 1874, and was prepared by Jenny Jerome herself (President Churchill's mother). She was an activist, participated in all kinds of social events.

It was rumored that it was she who threw a party in honor of her friend Samuel Tildon at the Manhattan Club bar. There she got the idea to mix vermouth, whiskey and bitters.

The second version seems more plausible. The cocktail was invented by Dr. Ian Marshal. He mixed the necessary ingredients and brought the drinkto the desired taste. And it all happened in the same Manhattan Club bar.

A note about the novelty immediately appeared in The Democrat newspaper. It can be argued that the life of aperitifs began from that time.

As you can see, the history of the Manhattan cocktail is mysterious and unusual. One thing is for sure, in 1961 this drink was officially included in the book of bartenders (IBA).

Classic recipe

The composition of the Manhattan cocktail is as follows:

1. Canadian whiskey (rye) – 50 ml.
2. Red sweet vermouth - 20 ml.
3. Bitter (Angostura) - 3 drops.
4. Ice.

The technology for preparing the drink is as follows:

• All components are poured one by one into a special mixing glass.
• Ice is being added. At the same time, it should slide along the walls of the glass. This is necessary so that the ice does not immediately melt.
• The resulting mixture is stirred for 20 seconds.
• The drink pours into a beautiful glass through the strainer.
• The only thing left to do is decorate the aperitif. The classic recipe uses frozen cherries or dried, candied orange peel for this purpose.

Can I make a Manhattan cocktail at home? The recipe above is perfect for this.

Subtleties in cooking

For a cocktail to have a bright taste, you need to choose the right ingredients. What to look out for:

• The main role in the Manhattan cocktail is played by whiskey. ForTo prepare a drink, you need to choose a Canadian blend (rye) or bourbon. But you can't use tape. True connoisseurs of this cocktail immediately distinguish American whiskey from Scotch.
• Why is vermouth added to a cocktail? This drink has an unusual, sweet taste. It helps take the bitterness out of the whisky. Vermouth is used only the one in which there is no sugar. For a variety of colors, it is better to choose a red tint. It can be Martini, Cinzano or any other brand of vermouth.
• Another indispensable ingredient is bitter. The most popular is Angostura. It is a combination of orange, ginger, herbs and all kinds of spices. Bitter adds strength, astringency and sweetness to the drink. For true connoisseurs of the Manhattan cocktail, it is better to choose the Pesho bitter. But getting it is quite difficult, and the pricing policy is not encouraging.

If you want a delicious Manhattan cocktail, you should never skimp on the quality of the main ingredients.

Use the Steer method

The key to the success of a cocktail is not only in the ingredients, but also in the correct preparation technology. It is not enough to combine all the ingredients in a glass and add ice. Professional bartenders know to use the Steer method for a Manhattan. It is used when more than 3 components are needed to prepare a drink.

The method is quite simple:

• Ice is poured into a mixing glass of the required volume.
• Drinks are poured in next, starting with less strong.
• Barspoon mix (clockwise) ingredients so as not to damage the ice cubes.
• Through a special strainer (strainer) the drink is poured into a glass for serving. As a rule, they use a cocktail glass or martin.

The Steer method allows you to serve your drink without ice, but still well chilled.

Perfect Manhattan

Recently, quite a few Manhattan cocktail recipes have appeared. Experienced bartenders are trying to bring new notes of taste to the drink, experimenting with its strength.

One of the most popular variations is the perfect Manhattan. The recipe is as follows:

1. Rye American Whiskey - 40 ml.
2. Red vermouth - 20 ml.
3. Dry white vermouth – 20 ml.
4. Bitter - 2 drops.
5. The drink is served with lemon zest.

This cocktail has a more tart, bitter taste. At the same time, its degree slightly decreases.

Experimenting with ingredients

If you're tired of the classic taste of the Manhattan cocktail, you can experiment a little with its ingredients. Bartenders offer the following options:

• Scotch "Manhattan". This recipe replaces the whiskey with Scotch, which is made from m alt and selected barley.
• Cuban Manhattan. Dark rum is added instead of whiskey. You can use dry vermouth.
• "Soul of Manhattan". This drink is for real men. The strength of the drink is more than 50 degrees. Vermouth is replaced by absinthe.
• "BlackManhattan". This option is a real find for women. Whiskey is replaced with herbal, sweet liquor. Amaro Ramazzotti is a good fit. It has a bitter taste with citrus notes.

The bartenders themselves admit that such variants of the Manhattan cocktail do exist. But real connoisseurs of the drink prefer only the classic recipe.

What to eat a cocktail

As a rule, cocktails are not accepted for snacking, but the Manhattan drink has a rather bitter taste. Dark or milk chocolate, muffins with orange peel or pine nuts, fruits are perfect for it.

If you need a more substantial appetizer, beef steak is the best option.

Washing down the drink is not recommended, thereby you will lose its taste. If it seems too strong for you, you can reduce the amount of whiskey.

The Manhattan cocktail can be classified as a classic drink. Its taste is rich and unusual. The drink is ideal as an aperitif. Remember that the cocktail is made from strong whiskey, so it is not recommended to drink it on an empty stomach.