Manhattan: The "Suited Thug" That Makes Wall Street Elites Drop Their Spreadsheets 🍸

Ⅰ. When Whiskey Wears a Red Dress—A Snapshot of the Manhattan Cocktail 🍹

Born in the 19th century, this classic cocktail is arguably the first true influencer in the cocktail world. It blends the boldness of bourbon whiskey with the seduction of sweet vermouth, all tied together with bitters—like the Wolf of Wall Street suddenly reciting Shakespearean sonnets. Dangerous and utterly charming.

Ⅱ. A Brief History Lesson (Don't worry, there's no quiz) 📜

1. That Mysterious Night in 1874...
   Legend has it that the Manhattan was created at New York's Manhattan Club (yep, the name's that literal) during a banquet hosted by Lady Jennie Jerome—Winston Churchill's mother—for a presidential candidate. But historians raise an eyebrow: "Wasn't she giving birth around that time?"
   And so the theories multiplied: dockworkers, Texan gunmen—you name it. Apparently, when a drink is this good, everyone wants to claim credit for inventing it.

2. Great Cocktails Never Go Out of Style
   What we do know is that by the 1880s, the Manhattan was appearing in bartending manuals and quickly becoming a fixture in fashionable drinking establishments. It survived Prohibition (barely, and often with questionable whiskey) and has enjoyed numerous revivals throughout the decades. Today, it remains one of the most ordered classic cocktails worldwide – proof that true quality never goes out of style.

Ⅲ. Lab-Grade Recipe Table 🧪

Ingredient	Standard Recipe	Introvert's Solo Version	Party Version
Rye Whiskey	60ml (2 oz)	45ml	750ml
Sweet Vermouth	30ml (1 oz)	22.5ml	375ml
Angostura Bitters	2 dashes	1.5 dashes	1 capful
Luxardo Cherry	1 piece	Half a cherry (?)	Just pour in the whole jar

Ⅳ. Bartending Rituals (More than 1ml off and alarms will sound) 📊

1️⃣ The Ice Prelude
Fill a coupe glass with ice and start thinking about life—this chills the glass to a frosty perfection.
Once the glass is chilled, discard the ice.

2️⃣ Stir It Like You Mean It
Add ice to a mixing glass, then carefully pour in:
- 60ml rye whiskey (as reverently as writing a love letter to your first crush)
- 30ml sweet vermouth (steady hands! This isn't syrup!)
- 2 dashes of bitters (like dotting a beauty mark on the drink)

Stir with a bar spoon for 40 seconds until the mixing glass is frosty.
Absolutely no shaking allowed — Unless you want to be on the bartender's hit list

3️⃣ The Art of the Strain
Strain the mix into the pre-chilled glass.

4️⃣ The Final Crown
Spear a brandied cherry (not those sugary red supermarket ones—unless you're cosplaying a dessert assassin) and gently place it atop the amber liquid.

Ⅴ. Unlocking the Manhattan's Timeless Allure 🕵️‍♂️

This cocktail, a liquid artwork that has crossed three centuries, remains iconic thanks to three irresistible charms:
① Master of Contrasts
Spicy rye, sweet vermouth, and herbal bitters come together like a sharply dressed gentleman—rose in the lapel, dagger up the sleeve.

② A Time Capsule in a Glass
Each sip echoes 19th-century New York: canal-side dockworkers, carriages on Fifth Avenue, the charging bull of Wall Street... It's like sipping on a golden-age dream.

Fun Facts to Impress Your Friends

• Name Origin: The cocktail is named after the Manhattan Club in New York City, where it was reportedly first created.
• Variations: The Manhattan has inspired several variations, including the "Perfect Manhattan," which uses equal parts sweet and dry vermouth, and the "Rob Roy," which substitutes Scotch whisky for rye.
• Cultural Impact: The Manhattan is one of the six basic drinks listed in David A. Embury's classic book, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks.
• Stirred, Never Shaken: James Bond might hate this cocktail. Stirring preserves the silky texture; shaking bruises the whiskey's ego.

So next time your drink starts to vibrate with the piano notes, remember: you're not just drinking a cocktail—you're sipping on the liquid memory of old New York. 🥃