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The Classic Manhattan Cocktail Recipe

Name: The Classic Manhattan Cocktail Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1 cocktail
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 ounces rye whiskey; 1 ounce sweet vermouth (look for an Italian vermouth like Dolin or Carpano Antica); 3 dashes angostura bitters; Luxardo cherries; Optional: orange peel, for garnish

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: May 15, 2026 • 1 min read

While there are lots of opinions on what makes the perfect Manhattan cocktail—rye versus bourbon whiskey, the distinct brand of bitters, the balance of sweetness in a given vermouth—the end result is your Manhattan, perfectly calibrated to your palate.

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What Is a Manhattan?

The Manhattan, named for the New York City borough of its birth, is a cocktail made of two parts whiskey, one part sweet vermouth, and a few dashes of aromatic bitters. The Manhattan is stirred, not shaken, and garnished with a brandied cherry or two. There are many variations on the Manhattan cocktail, like swapping rum for whiskey, or Averna amaro for vermouth.

Classic Manhattan Recipe

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makes

1 cocktail

prep time

5 min

total time

5 min

Ingredients

2 ounces rye whiskey
1 ounce sweet vermouth (look for an Italian vermouth like Dolin or Carpano Antica)
3 dashes angostura bitters
Luxardo cherries
Optional: orange peel, for garnish

1
Add two handfuls of ice cubes to a cocktail mixing glass or shaker.
2
Add whiskey, vermouth, and bitters, to the glass and stir. You want the ingredients thoroughly, but gently, blended, and well-chilled, so stir for about two minutes.
3
Spoon one dark Luxardo cocktail cherry (with a bit of its syrup) into the base of a chilled cocktail glass, either a coupe or a martini glass. (If you’re using an old-fashioned glass, simply spear a few cherries onto a cocktail skewer, or opt for an orange peel.)
4
Strain the cocktail into the glass and enjoy.

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