Black Manhattan
The Black Manhattan swaps vermouth for dark amaro: bourbon, Averna, and bitters in a silky, bitter sip. Learn why it's stirred, never shaken.
4 min
Americana / Moderna
1 servings
The story behind
Swap the vermouth for a dark, bittersweet amaro and you arrive at the Black Manhattan. This is a modern drink, created by bartender Todd Smith in San Francisco around 2005 as a brooding riff on the nineteenth-century classic. In place of sweet vermouth it leans on Amaro Averna, a Sicilian herbal liqueur that brings licorice, orange peel, and a wave of bitter botanicals. Bourbon or rye keeps the original's backbone intact, but the whole thing turns darker, almost dessert-like. It is built by stirring, never shaking: stirring over ice chills and dilutes just enough without aerating or clouding the drink, preserving its silky weight. A dash of Angostura and a dash of orange bitters sharpen the edges so the amaro's sweetness never turns cloying. Served up in a chilled glass with an Amarena cherry sinking to the bottom, its mahogany color signals exactly what it is: bitter, spiced, full-bodied, and meant to be sipped slowly.
Instructions
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1Pre-chill the coupe glass with ice or by placing it in the freezer.
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2In a mixing glass, combine the whiskey, amaro, and bitters with plenty of ice.
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3Stir gently with a bar spoon for about 30 seconds until the mixture is thoroughly chilled.
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4Strain into the chilled coupe glass, achieving the clean look shown in the photo.
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5Drop the amarena cherry into the bottom of the glass as the finishing touch.
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