Some cocktails are classic for a reason. Some records say that this particular piece of cocktail history was formed at New York’s aptly named Manhattan Club in the 1870s, but like most legends, the history can get a bit cloudy. There are definitely records of this particular recipe dating back even earlier, but regardless of when this cornerstone of the craft cocktail scene was created, there’s no doubt about the where. 

The “official” ingredients of this quintessentially New York cocktail are whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters, but we’d like to submit our version as evidence that “official” isn’t the same as “perfect.” No matter how you make your Manhattan, it’s not quite perfect until you add some Maraschino — and we should know, we’ve been adding them to ours since 1905.

Ingredients

1 ½ oz. Hirsch The Horizon Whiskey
1 ½ oz. Silvio Carta Mazzini Rosso Vermouth
½ tsp. (one small bar spoon) syrup from Luxardo Original Maraschino Cherries jar
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Luxardo Maraschino Cherry

Directions

Fill mixing glass with ice cubes. Add whiskey, vermouth, cherry syrup and bitters to mixing glass and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.