Given the gloomy, chilly spring weather we’ve been having here, my cocktail game has had more of a fall vibe, and it seemed time for me to finally tackle one of the great classic cocktails, the Manhattan. Since I can’t ever just do the thing straightforward, I’m going with a rye port Manhattan.
Because, here’s the thing—I don’t like Manhattans. I think it’s because of the sweet vermouth that provides the distinctive flavor, which I don’t like. So I went looking for a Manhattan without vermouth, something that maintains that iconic flavor but that I actually *like*. Enter delicious ruby port…
What is a Manhattan cocktail?
The standard Manhattan has remained remarkably consistent over the nearly 150 years it’s been around. A basic Manattan is two parts rye whiskey, one part sweet vermouth, two dashes of bitters, and served “up” (chilled but no ice) with a cherry or twist (lemon peel).
The original might have actually been equal parts rye and vermouth, which for someone like me who does NOT like vermouth or sweet vermouth sounds especially gross.
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Any quality rye whiskey should work great here (and honestly you can sub bourbon if you need, though it won’t be quite as traditional). I had a couple different rye whiskies on hand, but ended up trying out my Old Forester rye for the first time.
Full disclosure, I work for the company that makes Old Forester, which is why I have it on-hand, but this isn’t an ad in any way, nor are they affiliated with this blog. It’s this job that’s made me get so much more interested in cocktail culture and recipes. And I got a little carried away with how the green and gold on the bottle photographed…
Place the ice in a small tumbler or cocktail shaker and pour all the ingredients over it. Give it a few strong stirs to combine (do NOT shake).
Serve in a rocks glass, either with a large ice cube (so it doesn’t melt quickly) or without ice at all. An orange peel or brandied cherry can be a nice garnish on this…though I completely forgot that this time. Magnus is noticing my oversight…
While it won’t replace the Old Fashioned in my heart anytime soon, this port Manhattan cocktail is a really cool and delicious twist on the classic!
Other boozy adventures you’ll enjoy:
- Blood Orange Elderflower Gin Cocktail
- Fizzy Rosemary Gin Gimlet
- Black Raspberry Irish Coffee
- “River Boyne Fizz”, An Irish Whiskey Cocktail
- Bourbon Milk Punch Cocktail
- Preservation Punch: A Whiskey Cocktail for Fall
A restrained yet boozy take on a classic Manhattan cocktail, using port instead of sweet vermouth As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Rye Port Manhattan Cocktail
Ingredients
Instructions
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 165
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I made one of these by accident tonight.
I was going for a rye – bitters – maple syrup cocktail, but after putting the syrup and bitters into the glass, I grabbed my bottle of port instead of the rye. They are the same size and shape…..
After realizing I added port to the mix, I sighed and added an equivalent amount of rye. It would have been a shame to dump it, and I was in the mood for experimenting.
It was on the sweet side, but not overly so. Now that I know it’s a legitimate thing, I may try it again – without the syrup.
Ooh maple syrup as a flavor complement sounds lovely (a bit sweet, but you could probably balance the two). Hehe, I completely can identify with that sigh…when you’re like “why did I do that?!” But don’t you love a happy accident!
Use REAL maple syrup – not maple-flavored, artificially colored corn syrup….
Hi, I also couldn’t stand the Manhattan at first. The first I had one was in a bar and I couldn’t even get beyond the first sip, it tasted like medicine…
During Lockdown, I wanted to give it another try (everyone praises the iconic Manhattan cocktail so there must be something wrong about me, right?) and mixed a Manhattan at home. With the same ingredients every one seems to use: Antiga Formula for the vermouth part, and Rittenhouse Rye. Again: terrible. One sip, dump the rest.
But I gave it another try, this time with the Punt e Mes Vermouth. And you know what? It was a “game changer” for me.
The resulting Manhattan is very dry (even though Punt e Mes is a red vermouth) and bitter (the “good” kind of bitter), and only has a tiny bit of sweetness. And it’s really enjoyable. It MUST be super cold in order to work.
Oh that’s interesting, I hadn’t really thought about the differences in vermouths. I struggle with super bitter things (I have similar struggles on the classic negroni) but will definitely do some digging into different vermouths and give it another try–thanks for the tip!
I have to admit I was wrong. In the meantime, I experimented with different whiskys (rye and bourbon) and vermouths, and came to the conclusion: I just don’t like that combination of rye and sweet vermouth… I like rye, either neat or in other cocktails like the beautiful Boulevardier, I like sweet vermouth (my current favourite is Mancino not as punchy and and bitter as Punt e Mes, not as overloaded as Antiga Formula), but both in one glass? Nahh… not for me.
But I found something that works VERY well for me: the Metropolitan. It’s basically a brandy-Manhattan. I like this one a lot. The taste is very, very different to a standard Manhattan. Very elegant.
The Metropolitan: 2 parts brandy (I use Carlos 1 from Spain), 1 part sweet vermouth (Mancino from Italy), 3 dashes of Angostura. The original recipe uses sugar syrup, I tried it but for me, it completely ruined the drink.
I can really recommend this one.
I will definitely look up the Metropolitan!