When Is A Manhattan Cocktail No Longer A Manhattan?

Rosemary and I were talking the other day and she asked “When is a Manhattan no longer a Manhattan?” She was asking because she had seen a cocktail menu at a local restaurant with some additional spirits added to the recipe for what was called a Manhattan.

As you may know, the Manhattan is our favorite cocktail and I’ve written about it “here”. Rosemary and I are purists when it comes to a Manhattan cocktail—whiskey, fortified wine(vermouth) and bitters stirred to create a deep, spicy balance with sweet and herbal notes.

I found Rosemary’s question interesting so I decided to look up the Manhattan cocktail in Gary Regan’s book The Joy of Mixology. Gary believed the Manhattan to be the “finest cocktail on the face of the earth.” His book gives the following recipes:

Manhattan

2 ounces Bourbon or Rye Whiskey

1 ounce of sweet vermouth

Angostura, Peychard or orange bitters to taste (start with 2 dashes and adjust)

Maraschino cherry for Garnish

This is a traditional Manhattan cocktail, but he goes on to add three other recipes.

Manhattan (Dry)

2 ounces Bourbon or Rye

1 ounce dry vermouth

Angostura, Peychard or orange bitters to taste

A lemon twist for garnish

Perfect Manhattan

2 ounces Bourbon or Rye

½ ounce sweet vermouth

½ ounce dry vermouth

Angostura, Peychard or orange bitters to taste

1 maraschino cherry and or 1 lemon twist for garnish

Manhattan (Kentucky’s Best)

2 ounces Knob Creek Bourbon

½ ounce maraschino cherry juice

3 dashes ruby port

3 dashes Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth

2 dashes crème de cassis

1 dash Angostura bitters

1 maraschino cherry for garnish

I question whether this last recipe is a true Manhattan cocktail. It has many of the same ingredients as a Manhattan, but has additional spirits added to the recipe. I would have called it something else. In the past, mixologists created the Brooklyn cocktail as a variation of the Manhattan, but by calling it a Brooklyn cocktail, they made sure the customer knew what they were getting (don’t expect a Manhattan.) According to Frank Caiafa’s book The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book, a Brooklyn is made the following way:

Brooklyn

2 ounces Wild Turkey 101 Rye Whiskey

1 ounce Noilly Prat extra-dry vermouth

¼ ounce Bigallet-China-China Amer

¼ ounce Luxardo maraschino cherry Liqueur

The recipe is similar to the Manhattan in the same way that Regan’s recipe for the Kentucky’s Best Manhattan recipe. It includes additional spirits and alters the taste drastically.

In conclusion, as a Manhattan purist, I would not call the last recipe from Regan a Manhattan. I would be disappointed with the taste if that is what I was served after ordering any cocktail referred to as a Manhattan. I would call it a Kentucky cocktail or some other name to avoid customer confusion.