italian dessert recipes

Manhattan drink recipe

"Whiskey, Italian Vermouth and Angostura Bitters"




manhattan drink recipe
This Manhattan drink recipe was my grandma's favorite of all Italian drinks. She wasn't a drinker. But every Christmas she had a Manhattan while cooking. She would sneak me sips when I was young. Honestly, I could never grow to like this.

This is an old time classic Italian drink. The flavoring really depends on the sweet vermouth. I think any old whiskey will do, but the original calls for an American whiskey As I post hundreds of my grandma's Italian dessert recipes, I remember the get-togethers we served these at. So grandma, this one's for you even though it wasn't my favorite.



Some of the ingredients might be a little foreign to you - but they are NOT hard to find. They are standards in our Italian drinks and most liquor stores carry all of these. So, keep reading... I answered a few questions about angostura bitters, and Italian vermouth in the section below. And there are a few substitutions listed also.




Manhattan Drink Recipe

YIELD: 1 Serving

Ingredients:

* 75 ml ( 2 1/2 ozs.) whiskey

* 30 ml ( 1 oz.) sweet red vermouth

* Dash of angostura bitters

* Maraschino cherry (Garnish)



Procedure

* Stirred over ice.

* Strain into a chilled glass.

* Garnish (My grandma always had a cherry).

* Serve straight up.








What is angostura bitters?

Angostura bitters isn't really an alcohol. Well, there's not much in it. It's a mixture of a tad of alcohol, gentian root (a pretty little root with a flower), and vegetable extracts.

Can I skip the bitters?

Hmmmmm. Well that is kinda what makes this a Manhattan cocktail - but you decide. You're the boss.

What is vermouth?

Just wine with added herbs.

Can I swap out the vermouth for a red wine?

Nope. To keep this a classic Italian drink and really get what you are looking for - a Manhattan cocktail, you need to make sure not only to get red vermouth - but SWEET red vermouth.

Want the drink drier?

Use more whiskey and less vermouth.

Want the drink sweeter?

Use more vermouth and less whiskey.

Looking for a different garnish?

Try a lemon peel. But you won't get the color like you do from the cherry. If you want the drink a little brighter looking add some cherry juice!


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Italian Drinks








Lisa Gianotti Superbowl Sunday is coming up! The best Italian Dessert Recipes for a party like this are ones that are:

FAST

Finger Foodish (not big hunky sticky globs of gooey-ness that get on your furniture)

And freeze-aheads

A couple of my favs for this are Cappucino Cookies (lots like choc chips but with a twist)

Anisette Cookies (Always on the top 5)

Rum Balls (Gingersnaps and Rum)

Let's not for get the drinks to go with the beer that will be present! Check out my Italian drinks section for that.

Lisa


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Recipes on this site are from family cookbooks, family traditions, or intentional adaptations from traditional recipes to add an Italian flair. If a recipe was adapted or used from another cook - it is mentioned on the recipe page and the recipe author is given credit.