Recipes

Manhattan Cocktail

Manhattan

St. Kilian Manhattan Cocktail

From the St. Kilian "Classic Whisky Cocktails" Series

Ingredients:

  • 6 cl Terence Hill - The Hero - Whisky (mild)
  • 3 cl sweet Italian vermouth (we recommend Antica Formula Carpano)
  • 2 dashes orange bitters

Preparation of our variation:

Put all the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir until the drink is ice cold. Then strain the drink through a cocktail strainer into a pre-chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

But why this combination in particular?

Our whisky brings a beautiful fruitiness of tropical fruits, apricots, pear in combination with light wood and roasted aromas as well as a gentle pepper note. These flavours complement the sweetness of the Italian vermouth perfectly. The Antica Formula Carpano itself brings natural flavours of vanilla, dark chocolate, sweet cherry and orange peel. For us, this flavour combination in conjunction with orange bitters simply results in the perfect St. Kilian Manhattan.


The right drink for the right time


We recommend the St. Kilian Manhattan all year round as a pre-dinner drink or for socialising after an extended dinner.

Manhattan Cocktail: Exciting background knowledge

The Manhattan Cocktail is one of the classic whisky cocktails. Traditionally prepared with American bourbon whiskey, red vermouth and a dash of bitter alcohol.
With its high alcohol content, it is one of the typical pre-dinner drinks.


Where does the forefather of vermouth drinks actually come from?
There are many stories about the origin of the Manhattan cocktail. The one we like best is that even the mother of the later British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is said to have been involved in the creation of the original Manhattan. However, this theory has since been disproved, as Jennie Churchill was not in the vicinity of the specified bar at the time.
What is certain is that vermouth was exported to America from Italy and France as early as the mid-19th century , providing bartenders with entirely new possibilities for their concoctions.
The first written record of the Manhattan Cocktail dates back to 1882 from Harry Johnson's Bartenders Manual. However, equal parts of vermouth and whiskey were still used. Around 1900, depending on the bar where the Manhattan was ordered, sugar syrup, curacao or absinthe were added.

The recipe of the Classic Manhattan Cocktail

Over the years, however, the recipe we know today has become established:

  • 6 cl bourbon whiskey
  • 3 cl red vermouth
  • 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
  • Garnish: Maraschino cherry

Depending on which whisky you use, the mixing ratio will of course change. The same applies to the use of vermouth. The choice of bitter alcohol also plays an important role.
The best-known Manhattan variations are probably the Rory O'Moore with Irish whiskey and orange bitters or the Rob Roy with Scottish single malt whisky.
There are three main types of vermouth: the Manhattan dry, which is mixed with French dry vermouth, the Manhattan perfect, with one part sweet and one part dry red vermouth, and the Manhattan sweet, mixed with sweet, mostly Italian vermouth.

"Rüdenau meets Manhattan"

Of course, we have our very own Manhattan variation with our St. Kilian whisky.
We tried a lot, but in the end we were convinced by an Odenwald-Italian combination.

Find out more about our St. Kilian whiskieshere !

To top