Smoked Manhattan Cocktail
Quick Answer
To make a smoked Manhattan, stir 2 oz bourbon (or rye), 1 oz sweet vermouth, and 2–3 dashes of bitters with ice until well chilled, then strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass. Add a cherry, then trap wood smoke over the glass with a smoke lid or cocktail smoker for 10–15 seconds before serving. A Manhattan is traditionally stirred, not shaken, to keep it silky and clear, and cherry wood is a classic choice for the smoke because its mild sweetness suits the vermouth. Bourbon gives a softer, sweeter drink; rye makes it drier and spicier.
When a cocktail remains a classic for over 140 years, it must be something special. The Manhattan cocktail has withstood the test of time and then some. It gets its name from The Manhattan Club in the late 1800s.
It's popularity has come and gone, but it's now thriving in the classic cocktail renaissance. The Manhattan consists of 3 basic ingredients: Whiskey, Vermouth, and bitters. A smoked manhattan cocktail adds a flavor, aroma, and character which compliment this classic perfectly. To get this drink dialed in just right for you, you'll need to choose from variations of each ingredient.
How to Make the Best Smoked Manhattan Cocktail
First, choose the right whiskey.
Since this whiskey will be blended with other ingredients, don't go cracking open that bottle of Blanton's you've been saving for a special occasion. Drink that one neat with friends and family. For the Manhattan, we recommend using a bourbon or rye whiskey, but we favor the bourbon option. Most bottles in the $35 - $45 range will do fine. The Russell's Reserve 6 or 10yr Bourbon, Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon, Rieger's Whiskey any many rye whiskies or bourbons all make fine choices.
Now for the vermouth, which typically comes in either dry or sweet. We'll save the dry vermouth for a smoked martini some day, and use the sweet vermouth as part of this premium smoked Manhattan recipe. And pro tip, if you find yourself at the store looking through bottles of dry and red vermouth options, go red. Martini and Rossi red vermouth is a sweet vermouth practically made for Manhattans.
Bitters, bitters, bitters... Notice how this ingredient appears in almost every bourbon recipe? The floral and herbal flavor perfectly compliments the spice, oak, and earthy flavor of whiskey. One bottle of regular bitters and one with orange flavor will go a long way in your liquor cabinet. We'll use two to three dashes of either, or one of each if you have both, in this smoked Manhattan.
Ok, the next two steps are how you help make sure this classic lasts another 140 years. In addition to adding amazing flavor to the cocktail, these two ingredients make for a beautiful presentation.
The first extra we're going to add here are two cocktail cherries, preferably Luxardo Maraschino cherries. Not only do you get rich, dark, marinated cherries, but the syrup which comes with them when you spoon out the cherries adds another profile of sweetness when its stirred in the drink.
The second extra we're going to add is smoke. Whiskey and bourbon age in charred oak barrels. So, some smoke flavor is already seasoned in to each bottle. Adding smoke to the Manhattan drink is yet another flavor which was made for this concoction.
We use the Aged & Charred Smoke Lid to get just the right amount of smoke and flavor. Our cocktail smoker was design to get maximum smoke quickly and clean. It saves on wood chips and butane, and the handy lid smokes in the drink, not the room. Aged & Charred offers three wood chip bundles: Bold Four Pack (oak, hickory, mesquite, pecan), Fruit Four Pack (cherry, apple, pear, peach), and Variety Four Pack (oak, hickory, apple, cherry) . Experiment with different wood types to find just the right match for your favorite cocktail. For the Manhattan, we recommend cherry wood chips to compliment the red vermouth and cocktail cherry. Oak, pecan, and apple are all fine choices as well.
When you combine all ingredients and hand off this cocktail to your guest, or even better enjoy for yourself, you'll know just by the sight of the caramel colored drink, with marinated cherries at the bottom and smoke rolling off the top, it is going to be a drink to remember, and that is how a cocktail survives 140 years.
Ingredients
- 2oz Bourbon Whiskey
- 1oz sweet / red vermouth
- 2-3 dashes of orange or regular bitters
- 2 Luxardo Maraschino cocktail cherries
- Cherry wood chips
Instructions
Combine all ingredients plus ice into a cocktail shaker and stir until chilled. Pour into coupe or whiskey glass. Add one pinch of wood chips to the Smoke Lid. Place Smoke Lid on top of glass and burn burn chips with the butane torch provided with Smoke Lid until smoke is visible in the glass. Serve with smoke rolling off the top.
Cheers. Saluti. Salud. Prost. Kanpai.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in a Manhattan cocktail?
A classic Manhattan is whiskey, sweet (red) vermouth, and a couple of dashes of bitters, stirred with ice and served up with a cherry. The usual ratio is about 2 parts whiskey to 1 part sweet vermouth. A smoked Manhattan adds a finish of wood smoke on top.
Should you use bourbon or rye in a Manhattan?
Both work. Rye is the traditional choice and makes a drier, spicier Manhattan, while bourbon makes it a little softer and sweeter. Use whichever you prefer — a bold whiskey holds up best once you add the smoke.
Do you stir or shake a Manhattan?
Stir it. A Manhattan is a spirit-forward, all-alcohol cocktail, so stirring with ice chills and dilutes it while keeping it silky and clear. Shaking would aerate and cloud the drink.
What wood is best for a smoked Manhattan?
Cherry wood is a great match — its mild, sweet smoke complements the vermouth and the cherry garnish. Oak works too for a slightly bolder, more classic smoke. Smoke for only 10 to 15 seconds so the wood does not overpower the drink.
