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

Not So Perfect Manhattan
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Photographed in an UB Retro Coupe 1920 7.75oz

Ingredients:
2 oz	Bourbon whiskey
1 oz	Strucchi Rosso Vermouth
¹⁄₂ oz	Strucchi Dry Vermouth
2 dash	Orange Bitters by Angostura

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
Prepare garnish of orange zest twist and skewered Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.
STIR all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
EXPRESS flamed orange zest twist over cocktail then discard.
Garnish with skewered maraschino cherry.

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

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

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Not So Perfect Manhattan lifestyle image

Not So Perfect Manhattan lifestyle thumbnail

Review:

Not so imperfect – indeed this is one of the most delicious Manhattans I've had the pleasure of drinking.

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History:

Adapted from a recipe created by Frank Caiafa, bars manager of the celebrated Peacock Alley and La Chine restaurants at New York's The Waldorf Astoria Hotel from 2005 until its closure.
Manhattan cocktail history

More cocktails by Frank Caiafa

Nutrition:

One serving of Not So Perfect Manhattan contains 213 calories

Alcohol content:

2 standard drinks
25.85% alc./vol. (25.85° proof)
27.3 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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Werd Bmocsil

21st January at 04:09

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

24th November 2023 at 08:14

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

23rd October 2024 at 14:51

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

3rd April 2023 at 07:21

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.