Average
Spirit-forward & Fruity
3 minutes
Cocktail Glass
Ingredients
A sophisticated, slow-sipping after-dinner cocktail, the Apple Manhattan is rich, fruity, sweet and smooth and a wonderful to drink to serve at dinner parties in the fall or during late evenings while sitting outside with friends in the warmer months.
How to Make an Apple Manhattan
Bar tools you’ll need
Jigger
Mixing Glass
Bar Spoon
Julep Strainer
How to Mix
-
Fill a mixing glass with ice cubes.
-
Use a jigger (or other measuring tool) to measure and pour bourbon into the mixing glass.
-
Use the jigger to measure and add apple liqueur, followed by sweet vermouth.
-
Stir the mixture with a bar spoon until chilled and you achieve your desired dilution.
-
Place a julep strainer over the top of the mixing glass spout and pour the cocktail into a cocktail glass.
-
Garnish by perching an apple slice on the side of your glass.
All about the Apple Manhattan
The Apple Manhattan is a twist on a classic Manhattan cocktail using bourbon whiskey instead of rye whiskey. It retains the sweet vermouth of the original while adding apple liqueur for a unique, sweet, fruity touch.
With three different alcohol types, the Apple Manhattan is spirit-forward but fruity, rich and oaky. It greets you with smooth, mellow bourbon and layers of sweet green apple, rounded by the rich, sweetness of sweet vermouth. Every sip balances rich fruit and oak with a smooth, elegant finish.
The Apple Manhattan was crafted in the 1990s at a bar in Manhattan’s East Village, offering a twist on the classic Manhattan cocktail. The original Manhattan, also born in New York City, is considered one of the first modern cocktails, with early records found in cocktail books from 1884.
- Stir until you achieve the “perfect dilution”
The “perfect dilution” not as a strict, fixed formula, but rather as the point where a cocktail is perfectly chilled and balanced to your personal taste. Keep stirring the cocktail in the mixing glass with ice until you achieve the balance that you like. - Don’t overdo the sweet vermouth
Sweet vermouth is quite sweet, so we suggest starting with 7.5 ml. If you prefer a bit more sweetness, you can always add more, but it’s best to begin with a smaller amount. - Chill your glassware
Pouring a perfectly chilled Apple Manhattan cocktail into a pre-chilled cocktail glass is a must and the ultimate final touch, leading to a better drinking experience. Place your glassware in the freezer for 30 minutes before making your drink.
- Manhattan
The Apple Manhattan is variation of a Manhattan cocktail. Made with rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, couple of dashes of bitters and garnished with a maraschino cherry, it’s a classic and timeless cocktail. Discover the drink recipe for a classic Manhattan. - Use Calvados
For a richer, smoother Apple Manhattan, substitute apple liqueur with Calvados. This brandy, distilled from fermented apple cider, wll give your cocktail with the warm notes reminiscent of apple pie. - Add some bitters
Enhance your drink with 3-4 dashes of aromatic bitters, a staple in the original Manhattan. This addition will bring even more complexity to your cocktail’s flavor profile, adding a spicy herbal note that cuts through the bourbon and sweet vermouth. - Red Hook
The Red Hook is a modern classic cocktail that shares more in common with a classic Manhattan than an Apple Manhattan. Sweet, rich, bold and sophisticated, it mixes 45 ml whiskey, 10 ml amaro (an Italian herbal liqueur) and 7.5 ml maraschino liqueur.
- We recommend serving the Apple Manhattan is a pre-chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a slice of Granny Smith apple perched on the side of your glass. Add a few drops of aromatic bitters to your apple slice garnish to introduce some spice.
- If you want an garnish that’s more elegant than an apple slice, twist a strip of apple peel and drop it into your glass.
- For something more eye-catching, adorn your drink with an apple fan. Here’s how to make an apple fan:
1. Cut a firm apple into thin, even slices. Lay them flat, slightly overlapping to form a fan shape.
2. Pierce the base of the fan with a cocktail pick or skewer to hold the slices together:
3. Place the apple fan on the rim of your glass to garnish.
Apple Manhattan FAQ
Use a mellow, well-balanced bourbon whiskey, ideally one with a softer grain profile, to complement the apple rather than overshadow it. A bourbon whiskey with notes of caramel, oak, vanilla, and syrup work particularly well in an Apple Manhattan.
A traditional Manhattan is made with rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and a couple of dashes of aromatic bitters. The Apple Manhattan retains the sweet vermouth but swaps rye whiskey for bourbon whiskey and adds apple liqueur.
Like the original Manhattan, an Apple Manhattan is stirred drink. We recommend stirring an Apple Manhattan a mixing glass to maintain its clarity and smooth texture. Stirring gently combines the ingredients without excessive dilution.
