The Manhattan is the cocktail named after New York’s Manhattan Club, where it was reportedly created in the 1880s.
Its classic formula combines whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters, usually with a cherry garnish. The drink is commonly linked to a banquet hosted by Jennie Jerome, later Lady Randolph Churchill, at the Manhattan Club in 1874, although historians regard that origin story as doubtful because Jerome may have been in England at the time.
The cocktail’s name is therefore more secure than the popular banquet anecdote. It became part of the family of spirit-and-vermouth drinks that also includes the Martini and Rob Roy. Rye whiskey is a traditional choice, while bourbon is also widely used.
A Manhattan is stirred rather than shaken in its classic preparation. Its red color comes from sweet vermouth, not from grenadine or fruit juice, and it is distinct from the whiskey-based Boulevardier, which adds Campari.