Name: Not So Perfect Manhattan
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 60 ml Bourbon whiskey; 30 ml Rosso/sweet vermouth; 15 ml Dry vermouth; 2 dash Orange bitters

Ingredients

2 fl oz

Bourbon whiskey

1 fl oz

Strucchi Rosso Vermouth

¹⁄₂ fl oz

Strucchi Dry Vermouth

2 dash

Orange Bitters by Angostura

How to make

Glass

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.

Prepare garnish of orange zest twist and skewered Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.

Method

STIR all ingredients with ice.

FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

EXPRESS flamed orange zest twist over cocktail then discard.

Garnish with skewered maraschino cherry.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Not So Perfect Manhattan contains 213 calories

Alcohol content:

2 standard drinks
25.85% alc./vol. (51.7° proof)
27.4 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Rosso/rouge/sweet vermouth (di Torino), Dry vermouth — Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

Gallery

Not So Perfect Manhattan lifestyle image

Comments & Discussion

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Joseph Nelson Premium Member 3w

I played by the recipe on this one as opposed to doing what I usually do with my Manhattans, which is swap bourbon for rye, earning me plenty of side-eye from some bartenders.

Overall, I liked it. My primary reason for the rye swap is because I don't typically enjoy bourbon's inherent sweetness, and this tempered that nicely with the dry vermouth. Which, uh, I maybe pushed a bit harder by using a Tribuno Extra Dry. I felt it was good and balanced.

...but I'm going to be a heathen and try it next time with rye.

Chris Dimal 24w

Pretty nice variation. Still prefer a Sweet Manhattan. I still find dry vermouth to be a bit too weird and bone dry here.

Robert Spain 16w

I agree that the original Manhattan is not so overly sweet that it must be reduced using dry vermouth. Brooklyn (perfect), however, really benefits of dry vermouth.

Wim Sam 36w

So, the only difference between the Perfect and Not So Perfect Manhattans are the Vermouth ratios and the type of bitters:
https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/1246/manhattan-perfect

Wim Sam 36w

What would you use as an alternative to a cherry as a garnish for the 'Not So Perfect Manhattan' ?

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 36w

An orange zest twist.

Anna Thompson 37w

Agreed, this is IMO a Perfect Manhattan rather than the notionally perfect recipe with equal dry and rosso vermouth.

Werd Bmocsil 50w

Was good again, with Benchmark bourbon, Dolin dry vermouth, Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, and Fee Brothers orange bitters.
But it was a reminder that I need to get more Angostura Orange bitters; the FB Orange bitters isn't to my liking.

Werd Bmocsil 1y

Buffalo Trace, Carpano Antica, Martini & Rossi Dry White, Angostura Orange Bitters. A lovely change from the standard Manhattan. For those who think it too sweet, perhaps swap a Tequila Reposado for the Bourbon.

Matt Black 2y

Delicious, but too sweet for my taste when compared head to head with the Perfect version.

I had only Punt e Mes rosso in the fridge so perhaps another variety would be better?

G. M. Genovese Premium Member 1y

Punt e Mes and Noilly Prat dry proved too bitter for me, but I was all-in on your suggestion to use the former (a long-time favorite). Basic Cinzano Rosso (and Ango orange) seemed to work best, according to my notes.

Chris Brislawn 3y

We second the recent Hinojos verdict. This ratio works better than the standard 1:1 ratio of sweet:dry vermouth in a "perfect." I used Cocchi vermouths di Torino and cask-strength Stranahan's Rocky Mountain Single-Malt whiskey, which lists a very respectable if implausibly precise 109.87 proof on the label. This meant extra stirring with ice for dilution and serving over jumbo ice cubes in DOF glasses. Dropped the expressed orange twists into the glasses. A winner.