Yesterday, I waxed poetic about the beauty of a classic Manhattan, and how to start to make changes to the drink to suit your preferences. Some of my favorite ways to adapt the cocktail are to move in a seasonal or international direction.

Seasonal Variations
A Manhattan is also easily adapted to the seasons. While I find that I like the classic version year-round, there are modifications that can make for a particularly festive drink. In my research on Manhattan cocktails, I discovered a recipe that uses walnut liqueur and jumped on the opportunity to use some of the nocino I made last year from the black walnut tree in our yard. I love this drink. It’s very spicy and herbaceous, with a long finish. Strega turns out to to be quite complimentary to the nocino.

In my research, it became very easy to end up down a rabbit hole. It was effortless to find a multitude of variations on the Manhattan – which is probably why it fascinates me so much. I present to you two more wintry versions of the cocktail. This first one is a nod to the beer-lover in your life. It swaps out the vermouth with a spiced stout syrup.

And, with punch being back in fashion these days, here’s a cold-weather, Manhattan-inspired punch that’s sure to be a hit at your next holiday gathering.

International Variations
What if you’re serving Manhattans to people who don’t like whiskey? In a nod to my rum-loving husband, I borrowed ingredients from both Ethiopia and Venezuela for an unusual rum variant. It’s delicious (the berbers bitters were made by one of my coworkers).


You could also steer a bit more traditional, using equal amounts of dry and sweet vermouth for a rum-based perfect Manhattan:

Focusing on a different continent, the most famous international adaptation of the Manhattan is the Rob Roy. This is probably my least favorite of all of the drinks I made – likely due to my unfortunate distaste for Scotch.

More my style but sticking with a UK-based spirit is the Weeski, using Irish whiskey and Cocchi Americano. I made a slight adaptation in this recipe since I was using cask-strength Redbreast whiskey.


Getting Fancy
Once you’ve started to riff on the classic Manhattan, it’s easy to get creative. I’ve got a batch of Manhattans aging in a tiny oak barrel right now – it’s one of my favorite cocktails to age. Or, if you happen to find yourself with a bottle of an unusual or obscure spirit, why not try it in a Manhattan? Just use the Golden Ratio and your tastebuds to guide you. If you’ve got some time on your hands and want to try a smoky and savory cocktail, I leave you with a recipe for a hickory and duck fat-spiked Manhattan:

Laura Baddish, from the Baddish Group PR firm, provided me with bottle of Templeton Rye, Four Roses Single Batch Bourbon; and two sweet vermouths, Carpano Antica Formula and Punt e Mes.