Black Manhattan
Swap sweet vermouth for Averna and the Manhattan turns dark, silky, and faintly medicinal.
Time
4 min
Difficulty
Easy
Glass
Coupe or Nick & Nora
Method
Stirred
The Method
How to make it
- 01
Chill a coupe or Nick & Nora glass.
- 02
Add rye, Averna, and bitters to a mixing glass filled with ice.
- 03
Stir with a bar spoon for 30 seconds — long enough to chill and dilute properly.
- 04
Strain into the chilled glass.
- 05
Drop a cherry into the bottom and serve.
Bartender's Tip
Don't shake it. Ever. Stirring keeps the texture silky and the color clear; shaking aerates and clouds it.
A Little History
Invented by Todd Smith at Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco around 2005. The substitution was simple — Averna for sweet vermouth — but the result was transformative, and the drink kicked off the modern amaro-cocktail movement.
