Dominick's Classic Manhattan Recipe

Chill the glass

Fill the cocktail glass with ice and set aside to chill while you build the drink (about 1–2 minutes).

Measure ingredients

Using a jigger, measure 2 oz rye whiskey and 1 oz sweet vermouth into the mixing glass.

Add bitters

Add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters to the mixing glass with the spirits.

Add ice and stir

Fill the mixing glass about two-thirds full with large ice. Stir gently and continuously with a bar spoon for 20–30 seconds (or about 30–40 rotations) until the mixture is well-chilled and slightly diluted — the glass should become frosty and the liquid should be noticeably cold.

Prepare garnish

While stirring, drop a maraschino cherry into a small bowl or get it ready on a pick. If using an orange peel, cut a 1–2 inch strip of peel, removing excess pith; express the oils by holding it skin-side down over the glass and giving it a quick twist.

Strain and serve

Dump the ice from the chilled cocktail glass, then strain the stirred Manhattan into the glass using a Hawthorne or julep strainer.

Garnish and finish

Drop the maraschino cherry into the drink or thread it on a pick and rest it in the glass. Optionally, rub the orange peel around the rim and drop it in or rest it on the rim. Serve immediately.

Notes on variations

For a drier Manhattan use dry vermouth in place of half or all of the sweet vermouth. For a Perfect Manhattan use equal parts sweet and dry vermouth (1/2 oz each in this recipe). Use bourbon instead of rye for a softer, sweeter profile.

Use the jigger to measure spirits, the mixing glass and bar spoon to stir, and the strainer to pour without ice. Chill the serving glass with ice before assembling and discard that ice before straining the cocktail.