My Bar Bible / Cocktails / Old Fashioned vs Manhattan
Old Fashioned vs Manhattan
What is the difference between a Old Fashioned and a Manhattan? Here are both recipes side by side, with exact measures, and what actually sets them apart.
The difference
- Both use Angostura bitters.
- Only the Old Fashioned has bourbon, sugar cube and water.
- Only the Manhattan has rye whiskey and sweet vermouth.
- The Old Fashioned goes in a rocks glass, the Manhattan in a coupe.
- The Old Fashioned is the stronger drink: about 33% against about 29% once diluted.
Old Fashioned
| Bourbon | 45 ml |
| Sugar cube | 1 cube |
| Angostura bitters | 2 dashes |
| Water | 1 barspoon |
The original definition of a cocktail: spirit, sugar, water and bitters.
Manhattan
| Rye whiskey | 50 ml |
| Sweet vermouth | 20 ml |
| Angostura bitters | 1 dash |
New York, 1870s or 1880s. The popular story about Winston Churchill’s mother inventing it at the Manhattan Club is almost certainly untrue.