The Manhattan cocktail, made with rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters, has a disputed origin but gained popularity in the 1870s after being served at a banquet held by Lady Randolph Churchill. Variations include using different types of whiskey or vermouth, and the drink became even more popular after being featured on Sex and the City.
Manhattan is considered one of the oldest and most classic cocktails, and was first made in the 19th century. There are varying accounts as to who can be credited with inventing the drink and exactly when the drink first appeared. The drink was certainly made popular by the 1870s when it was served at a banquet held by Winston Churchill’s mother, Lady Randolph Churchill.
The banquet took place at the Manhattan Club and prompted many to order or serve the drink afterwards. Yet there is evidence that the drink may have been created before Lady Churchill’s banquet and that recipes for the drink may date back to the 1860s. The name suggests the origin in New York City.
There are several variations of the Manhattan base, but the standard recipe proposed by the International Bar Association (IBA) is as follows:
3 parts rye whiskey
1 part sweet vermouth
Dash of Angostura bitters
Garnish with a cherry
Traditionally the drink’s components are mixed over ice, not shaken, and then poured, minus the ice, into a regular cocktail glass, where it receives its cherry garnish.
The drink has numerous variations. People can substitute different types of whiskey for rye whiskey. When scotch is used, the drink becomes a Rob Roy. Bartenders may also differ on what types of vermouth to use and also choose different bitters. If you order the drink “dry,” you’ll get a Manhattan that uses dry vermouth instead of sweet, and a “perfect” style of drink uses equal parts sweet and dry vermouth. Changing the base alcohol can still produce a similar drink, but each will have distinctive names.
For example, a Brandy Manhattan would use brandy rather than rye whiskey, and a Cuban version uses rum with both dry and sweet vermouth. Other drinks similar in construction include Womanhattans, which uses grenadine rather than vermouth. David Byrne uses Irish whiskey instead of rye whiskey and is served with a twist rather than garnished with a cherry. Sake Manhattans is an unusual variation of the staple drink and replaces sake with vermouth.
The drink remained popular for over a century, but got a special boost in popularity when it became the drink of choice on the HBO show Sex and the City. The show’s four main characters frequently ordered Manhattanis, and the drink has become synonymous with style, luxury, great shoes, and girl power. Likewise, as cosmopolitan drinking characters began to drink, they too became more popular in the United States.
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