Name: High Ryeser
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 45 ml Rye whiskey 50% abv; 45 ml Rosso/sweet vermouth; 1 dash Aromatic bitters

High Ryeser
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Glass:

Photographed in an UB Retro Coupe 1910

Ingredients:
1 ¹⁄₂ oz	Straight rye whiskey (100 proof /50% alc./vol.)
1 ¹⁄₂ oz	Strucchi Rosso Vermouth
1 dash	Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
Prepare garnish of orange zest twist and Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.

How to make:

STIR all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish:

Express orange zest twist over cocktail and discard. Garnish with maraschino cherry.

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Rosso/rouge/sweet vermouth (di Torino) - Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Cocktail of the day:

24th April 2026 is The day New York's Woolworth Building opened

Review:

With thanks to Bob Cook, a Discerning Drinker, who on 27th October 2020 left a comment with the recipe for this delicious high-proof whiskey, equal parts Manhattan on our Sweet Manhattan page. Many thanks, Bob.

Short for High Proof Rye Manhattan, I originally unimaginatively named this cocktail High Rye Manhattan but another (sadly anonymous) Discerning Drinker commented on this page on this page (see comments below) suggesting "High Ryeser" was a better name. It is!

A truly collaborative cocktail.

View readers' comments

AKA: High Rye Manhattan

Variations/similar cocktails:

Sweet Manhattan
Perfect Manhattan
Dry Manhattan

History:

See Manhattan cocktail history

Nutrition:

One serving of High Ryeser contains 169 calories

Alcohol content:

1.7 standard drinks
26.06% alc./vol. (52.11° proof)
23.5 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Showing 10 of 17 comments for High Ryeser.
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Joseph Nelson

1st March at 00:28

I love a good Manhattan and always have Rye whiskey on hand, so what the heck, let's try this combo, said I! And I'm glad I did, as this was a delight!

I tend to use middle-shelf or even lower end Rye whiskey in my cocktails as I like my high-end stuff too much to drink as anything other than neat, but even with the lower grade Tincup I used, this was a treat. The vermouth dominated, but the Rye kept a pleasant, dry finish.

I did read the comments beforehand and added ice to mine in a rocks glass and it mellowed nicely. Will make this again. And likely again.

jill andrews

30th August 2025 at 22:10

A simple cocktail, yet deceptively full of flavour and interest. Will definitely make again.

Kevin Haynes

24th August 2024 at 23:14

I have the Redemption 95% straight rye that's only 92 proof, so I dropped it to a 2:1 ratio of rye to Martini Rosso. used Peychauds for bitters over Angostura. An absolute delightful drink.

I absolutely recommend trying the Redemption straight rye if you get a chance. Inexpensive, so taste to price point is excellent. https://www.diffordsguide.com/beer-wine-spirits/8097/redemption-rye-whiskey

John CARR

7th January 2024 at 12:45

Only had bulleit 95 rye, so bumped it up to 50ml, and went scant on a 50/50 mix of carpano and punt e mes. Pretty good I reckon.

Tuber Magnatum

24th April 2025 at 22:36

I am glad I saw your comment as I decided on this drink tonight given it was the cocktail of the day only to discover as I was pouring the Carpano, I only had 3/4oz! Since I had some Punt E Mes, I followed your lead and used an 3/4oz of it to make the full 1.5oz of vermouth. You reckoned right; it was pretty good!

Chris Brislawn

12th September 2023 at 01:38

Made it with Rough Rider "The Big Stick" rye (distilled and bottled on Long Island) in honor of 9/11/2001. Boker's Bitters are a good alternative in this.

Stuart Reeve

4th February 2023 at 16:59

I tried with the addition of 1 dash of black walnut bitters and thought it added to this recipe

Paul Holdsworth

18th December 2022 at 16:55

Just tried this after a Reverse Manhattan ('after' as in the following evening, not the following five minutes). Martini Rosso works wonderfully in the Reverse, but this needs something more, ahem, 'assertive'. This was lovely, and foregrounded the Rittenhouse Rye to advantage. But do try a Reverse Manhattan - great drink!