Tequila Manhattan Recipe

Chill glass

Place your serving glass (coupe or Nick & Nora) in the freezer or fill it with ice and water while you prepare the cocktail to ensure the drink is well chilled.

Measure and combine

In a mixing glass add 1.5 oz rye whiskey, 0.5 oz reposado tequila, 0.5 oz Cointreau, 0.5 oz sweet vermouth and 0.5 oz house cherry syrup.

Add bitters

Add 2 dashes of aromatic bitters and 1 dash of orange bitters (optional) to the mixing glass.

Stir with ice

Fill the mixing glass with large ice cubes. Stir gently and consistently for 20–30 seconds (about 20–30 full strokes) until the mixture is well-chilled, slightly diluted, and the glass is frosted on the outside.

Strain

Discard the ice/water from the chilled serving glass. Using a julep or hawthorne/strainer, double-strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass to remove any small ice shards.

Garnish

Thread a Luxardo or house cherry on a pick and rest it in the glass. Optionally express a strip of orange peel over the drink to release oils, rub the rim lightly and discard or place the twist on the rim.

Serve immediately. The Tequila Manhattan should present as a slightly sweeter, fruit-forward riff on a classic Manhattan with herbal rye backbone and warm tequila notes.

Make syrup

Combine 1 cup pitted sour or dark cherries (fresh or frozen), 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer 8–10 minutes until cherries soften and syrup thickens slightly.

Finish and store

Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then press fruit through a fine-mesh sieve to extract syrup. Cool completely and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Use 1/2 oz per cocktail as noted above.