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Black Manhattan
A classic Manhattan with amaro in place of sweet vermouth. Heavier in style and with distinctive bitter chocolate and light spice
Joseph Nelson
15th March at 22:44
I am desperately trying to find cocktails to use up a local Averna-esque Amaro and this turned out pretty good. I'm not rating it until I get back to it with a proper Averna, because the local blend has maple syrup and a super strong cinnamon taste. The rye finish is precisely right for a Manhattan though, so I suspect I'll like the proper cocktail once I can make it. I just need to finish this dang local stuff so I can clear it out of my cabinet...
11th February at 21:48
Anyone got a tip on where one might find the cute Luxardo branded cocktail sticks (as pictured)? I've got nice stainless ones, but having something fun and recyclable/disposable would be a nice addition to larger size cocktail parties (and a step up from cheesy colored toothpicks).
10th February at 16:26
Quite the intense experience this one! Based on the comments I made it 2/3 and ended up also adding half a spoon of jar juice to aid approachability. Perhaps a longer stir would help, or a lighter rye. Not sure I’ll hurry back, but neither did I hate it.
9th February at 03:07
This is fantastic with Cynar 70! Gave it a long stir and added a couple of cubes to the serve as it was rather potent.♡
24th January at 23:04
I think I like this more than a sweet vermouth based drink. And yes, adding a little of the cherry syrup from the luxardo cherries helped I believe!
24th October 2025 at 21:48
Found this a little punchy for my mood this evening (could be the rye I’m using) so I added 20 ml of sweet vermouth for a more Manhattan-y feel. Very nice. And I agree whole heartedly with the previous comment - a little syrup from Jack Rudy’s bourbon cherries also helped.
11th October 2025 at 05:39
A dash of Amarena cherries syrup on this cocktail make it a great twist.
24th August 2025 at 22:29
A very complimentary cocktail. Slightly sweet at the start but quickly switches/finishes with the spiciness of the rye.
13th April 2025 at 00:30
Wanting to make this a little drier, we backed off the Amaro by 1/3. Very flavourful.
5th December 2024 at 22:34
Tried it with Montenegro amaro and was pleasantly surprised! Having a pre-chilled cocktail glass and using a hot rye is a must.
21st November 2024 at 01:48
Very nice Manhattan variation as written, but at 2.2 standard drinks I’ll probably make 1 or 1 1/2 of them next time for the evening cocktail for two. Always good to find a really nice two (not counting bitters) ingredient cocktail.
22nd March 2024 at 16:48
I didn't have Averna so I used Nonino with Rittenhouse Rye and... Chef's kiss. I'm going to try this with every remaining amaro I have.
3rd November 2024 at 12:09
Make sure you try it with Vigo amaro, from Philadelphia Distilling. (I prefer mine with a split of Vigo and Bonal gentiane-quina... and a base of Minor Case sherry-cask rye.)
20th January 2024 at 03:30
I used Amaro dell’ Etna and…wow…it absolutely compliments the peppery rye. Love this.
1st December 2023 at 12:35
Give this a go with carciofo amaro. It gives the rye a fascinating peated dimension.
10th November 2023 at 22:26
One of my favorites. I sometimes use Amaro Luciano instead of Averna. Delicious.
26th October 2023 at 07:46
Benefits from an orange zest, even if only to be discarded after expressing. This is basically an improved whisky cocktail served up, after all
3rd June 2023 at 23:53
I love Manhattan variations! And I love the fact that with these sorts of simple cocktails, one can choose any preferred combination of rye, amaro, and bitter brands to tweak the drink to one's own preference.
14th February 2023 at 00:08
I always make my Black Manhattans with 2 dashes of Black Walnut bitters. Delicious and fits thematically!
13th October 2022 at 01:40
Made with Rittenhouse, Averna, and Adam Elmegirab's Orinoco bitters. This was quite delightful, strong and full of flavor. I might actually prefer this to a regular Manhattan.
10th July 2022 at 06:00
This is great. Also tried one subbing out the regular bitters for Cardamom bitters. Delicious.
13th April 2022 at 00:19
Very good cocktail. Nice and strong. Our California Rye is at 110 Proof, but the extra punch was nice. Had with warm almonds and Red Leichester cheese. Perfect early evening cocktail.
5th February 2022 at 01:04
Excellent! I find that an extra 5 mls of amaro and 2.5 mls of luxardo maraschino cherry syrup make a superb addition
22nd January 2022 at 05:46
My favorite nightcap drink. The Averna Amaro is perfect with the Rye and bitters to make a rich flavorful drink!
31st October 2021 at 21:52
A little riff I came up with and enjoyed… add in half an ounce of Mr. Black cold brew coffee liqueur and you have a Mr. Black Manhattan. I also added a dash of chocolate bitters.
22nd October 2021 at 23:07
That is a nice, bold, flavourful cocktail. I hadn't tried Averna until today and I'm an instant fan. The herbal-bitter lingers on the tongue nicely. I like this one!
1st June 2021 at 00:06
New favourite. Slightly chocolatey, sweet but not too sweet. Quite lovely twist on a classic.
7th May 2021 at 17:09
Loved this one. Dropped the cherry in, and had a delicious soaked cherry as a snack when i finished the drink. A new favourite for sure.
6th March 2021 at 20:39
I like to flame and orange peel into it and twist it as a garnish.
13th February 2021 at 01:40
swapped in Amaro Dell'Erborista ... excellent
11th July 2020 at 01:38
This drink is definitely a mood. I’m just learning to drink rye, and think the Averna and cherry garnish are quite nifty with it.