This honey Manhattan cocktail is made with rye whiskey, aromatic bitters and a homemade honey simple syrup.
What Is a Manhattan Cocktail?
The Manhattan cocktail is one of the great standard American cocktails. It traditionally contains rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters.
Along with the daiquiri and martini, it's part of the "Golden Age of Cocktails" spanning the late 19th and early 20th century. We think it has a fun vintage vibe.
Manhattan with No Vermouth?
One of the main ingredients in a Manhattan is sweet vermouth.
However, I'm often out of vermouth (it's a fortified wine, and not as shelf stable as liquor). Because I love this Honey Old Fashioned so much, I wanted to try swapping the vermouth for honey simple syrup.
It turned out to be pretty delicious!
If you do have sweet vermouth, here's how to make a traditional Manhattan.
Can I Use Bourbon Instead of Rye In a Honey Manhattan?
Traditionally, Manhattan cocktails are made with rye whiskey. We used a James E Pepper rye that we picked up locally at their distillery.
If you prefer (or if it's what you have on hand), a high-rye bourbon will also work well.
Rye whiskeys have a peppery bite to them. Some bourbon has a high rye percentage and is also somewhat peppery and strong.
Bulleit bourbon, for instance, would work well here. It's the brand I like using for my bourbon sour with lavender.
We also enjoyed using the high-rye bourbon from Finger Lakes Distilling in New York (pictured above).
Want to learn more about bourbon? Read our Bourbon for Beginners guide.
How to Make a Honey Manhattan
Start by making a batch of honey simple syrup. Heat honey and water to the point of steaming.
Then let the liquid cool for around 10 minutes.
You'll have enough simple syrup for about eight of these cocktails. (You can store it in the fridge for later use.)
To assemble the honey Manhattan, fill a cocktail shaker with ice, half an ounce of honey simple syrup, and two ounces of rye. Stir with a cocktail stirrer to chill the drink.
In a coupe glass, add two dashes of bitters.
Then strain the rye mixture into the glass, garnish with cherries, and serve!
Honey Manhattan
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker Or mixing glass
Ingredients
Honey Simple Syrup:
- 4 ounces honey
- 4 ounces water
Honey Old Fashioned:
- ½ ounce honey simple syrup
- 2 ounces rye Or use unflavored whiskey
- 2 dashes bitters (~¼ teaspoon) Angostura are traditional, I prefer Jack Rudy Aromatic bitters
- 2 cocktail cherries
Instructions
Honey Simple Syrup:
- Add the honey and water to a small pot. Heat over medium-low heat until the liquid is hot and beginning to steam. (There is no need to bring the syrup to a boil.)Remove syrup and set aside to cool. (I like to wait at least 10 minutes to avoid adding hot syrup to the drink.)
- Store syrup in a glass jar (or airtight container) in the fridge. Use within a month. You should have enough syrup for 8 cocktails.
Honey Manhattan:
- Add half an ounce of the honey simple syrup and 2 ounces rye to a cocktail shaker (or mixing glass) filled with ice. Stir until chilled.Add 2 dashes of bitters to a coupe glass. Strain the chilled rye mixture into the coupe glass.Garnish with two cherries, and serve immediately.
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