Red Moon Over Manhattan co*cktail Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you use red or white vermouth in a Manhattan? ›

Well, there's no wrong vermouth (to each their own), but it's generally recommended that you use sweet red vermouth in this co*cktail. If you're going for the “perfect” Manhattan, you'll need to use half sweet and half dry vermouth.

In it, whiskey is paired with sugar, in the form of a muddled cube or teaspoon of sugar, with a few dashes of Angostura bitters.

Instead of using the classic co*cktail shaker to blend the ingredients in a Manhattan, the drink should be stirred together using a spoon. Shaking or blending your co*cktail will dilute the drink and diminish the flavour of Manhattan, whereas using a spoon will gently blend the ingredients.

I particularly like Dolin Rouge or Carpano Antica in Manhattans, though there are a lot of other excellent new vermouths hitting the market nowadays which are worth exploring. The big three vermouth brands - Martini & Rossi, Noilly Prat, and Cinzano - all work just fine in a Manhattan as well.

The perfect Manhattan is indeed a great co*cktail, though the name doesn't refer to its perfection. Instead, it adds dry vermouth to the classic Manhattan's trio of whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. It makes a delightful dinner drink, whether you enjoy it before, during, or after the meal.

Though proportions can be tweaked to the drinker's taste, the Manhattan largely adheres to the standard 2:1 liquor-to-vermouth ratio common to the spirit-forward category of co*cktails. While the drink is traditionally made with a rye whiskey base, bourbon has become a commonly accepted substitute.

Add the above ingredients to a mixing glass, stir for approximately 10 seconds, and pour into an up glass or over ice. Garnish with your choice of orange peel, co*cktail cherry, olives, or nothing at all.

Aromatic bitters have long been the preferred accent for the Manhattan and it should be considered a required ingredient. Since we use just a few dashes at a time, it can be easy to forget their importance. However, they are the finishing touch that brings co*cktails like the Manhattan into perfect balance.

Stir Time. "Deciding how long a stirred co*cktail should be stirred depends on the ice you use. Harder, drier ice should be stirred longer, about 30 seconds. For wetter, smaller cubes, 15 seconds is all you need," he says.

Which tastes better Old Fashioned or Manhattan? ›

As a result, the Old Fashioned is generally slightly sweeter than the Manhattan, which in turn is moderately boozier and more bitter.

2. A Little Sweet, a Little Dry = Perfect. A subcategory of the Manhattan is the Perfect Manhattan—that is, 2 parts whiskey, 1 part equally divided sweet and dry vermouth, and bitters. “The thing about a Perfect is you have to be careful—you want it to be balanced.

BITTERS If you are new to being a home mixologist, you might not have bitters, and if you do, it is likely to be Angostura. Nothing wrong with Angostura, although other brands have a bit more character.

The quintessential man's drink, it exudes sophistication and refined taste.

Although the original New York co*cktail ingredients call for American Rye, bartenders from across the US have quickly adopted a substitution for the spirit with a Bourbon Manhattan variant.

White vermouth is a much more natural, floral, and smooth wine, in addition to having a very low bitter touch. The flavour of red vermouth is more oriented to aromatic Mediterranean spices.

Both co*cktails call for whisky and Angostura bitters, but the defining factor lies in their sweetening agents. The Old Fashioned opts for straightforward sugar or syrup, helping to soften the whisky. In contrast the Manhattan favours a sweet vermouth – adding fruity and caramel flavours into the mix.

In the late 19th century, it became popular with bartenders as a key ingredient for co*cktails, such as the martini, the Manhattan, the Rob Roy, and the Negroni. In addition to being consumed as an aperitif or co*cktail ingredient, vermouth is sometimes used as an alternative to white wine in cooking.