A Delicious, Dead-Simple, Three-Ingredient Manhattan Variation
Breaking down a modern, split-sweetener classic.
Sometimes, it’s a cold winter night and you want a Manhattan—but not, you know, an actual Manhattan. Instead, you want something Manhattan-like, something Manhattan-y, something that captures the essence of a Manhattan…but isn’t quite technically a Manhattan. (Insert your own Annie Hall joke here.)
What you want is this week’s cocktail—or something like it. This week’s entry in our ever-growing newsletter cocktail almanac continues our Manhattan series with a modern classic from one of the great New York bars of the 00s. It’s a delicious, dead-simple, three-ingredient Manhattan variation that’s perfect for when you want a Manhattan that’s close to, but not quiiiiiite, a traditional Manhattan. (Although maybe, if you want to get wonky about it, it’s actually more of a Brooklyn.)
It’s also a great example of a Manhattan sub-category I have come to think of as split-sweetener Manhattans.
Split-sweetener Manhattans are exactly what they sound like: They take the fundamental Manhattan structure (spirit, vermouth, bitters) and split the vermouth portion across multiple ingredients. In some cases, they also modify the bitter element too.
Over the last several weeks, we have looked at a number of Manhattan-class drinks that call for multiple vermouths (often sweet and dry). But you can use other ingredients in that slot too—including a lot of relatively common liqueurs, some of which bring distinctive herbal, bitter, or fruit flavors to the Manhattan template.
So in this week, we’re going to…
Break down a modern classic Manhattan variation
Look at how this drink relates to both the Manhattan and the Brooklyn
Recommend specific bottles (and a potential substitute) for this drink
Discuss ways to take this cocktail’s underlying structure and apply it in other drinks.
This sort of drink is incredibly easy to make so long as you have a few ingredients handy. If you’re looking for a no-fuss way to add a twist to your Manhattan, this is an excellent place to start.