Manhattan Recipe

Chill glass

Place your coupe or martini glass in the freezer for at least 5 minutes or fill it with ice water while you prepare the cocktail to ensure the drink stays cold when served.

Measure ingredients

Pour 2 oz bourbon and 1 oz sweet vermouth into a mixing glass or pint glass.

Add bitters

Add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters directly into the mixing glass with the bourbon and vermouth.

Add ice and stir

Fill the mixing glass with large ice cubes (enough to nearly fill the glass). Using a bar spoon, stir smoothly and consistently for 20–30 seconds (about 20–30 revolutions) until the outside of the glass feels very cold and the drink is properly diluted and integrated.

Prepare glass and garnish

If you chilled the serving glass with ice water, dump it out and quickly dry the inside. If using an orange peel, cut a thin strip of peel about 1" long, trim any pith, and hold it over the drink, skin side down, to express the oils by giving a quick twist.

Strain and garnish

Using a Hawthorne or julep strainer, strain the stirred Manhattan into the chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with 1 maraschino cherry dropped into the drink. Optionally rub the rim with the expressed orange peel and discard or rest the peel on the rim.

Serve

Serve immediately. Sip slowly to appreciate the balance of bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters.

Use large ice cubes for stirring to minimize over-dilution. Keep your mixing glass and serving glass chilled for best temperature control. Ensure tools (bar spoon, strainer) are clean and dry before use.