This Old-school Manhattan Cocktail comes together in minutes and with only THREE simple ingredients. The cherries are optional but highly recommended!

I’ve posted a lot of fun cocktails over the years but I’m hoping to genuinely focus on some of the classics in the coming week. They’re people’s favorites for a reason and if you haven’t tried many of these, ya need to!

Today, we’re making the short and simple Manhattan Drink.

cocktail ingredients laid out for a manhattan drink: bourbon, sweet vermouth, 2 different kinds of bitters, and maraschino cherries

Manhattan Cocktail Ingredients:

Bourbon– I’m a huge sucker for the simple and straightforward to find Bulleit Bourbon but truly whatever you have will work.
Sweet Vermouth– this is a key ingredient so don’t skip it! You want to make sure that you’re using SWEET vermouth as other types can be a bit bitter.
Bitters– there are several options when it comes to the bitters. A regular here my Manhattan with both aromatic plain bitters (this is what you’ll most commonly see in stores) as well as orange bitters if you can find it. HOWEVER, simply one or the other will work too!
Cherries– these are a completely optional garnish but part of what make up the familiar cocktail. I have a friend who often splashes a little bit of the cherry juice into her drink as well which is satisfying (especially if you like sweeter cocktails). I’m a big fan of Luxardo and Bada Bing brand maraschino cherries but any ole cherries will do:)