Manhattan Or An Old Fashioned? Here’s How To Spot The Difference
Both the Manhattan and the old fashioned are classic whisky-based cocktails with rich, deep histories and interesting origin stories. While they differ in ingredients, flavour and blending style, it is nonetheless a tad tricky to tell them apart. Here’s a handy breakdown of the cocktails for an amateur mixologist that would enable them to spot the difference between the Manhattan and the old fashioned.
Are Manhattan and Old fashioned the same thing?
Manhattan and old fashioned can both be prepared using good quality Scotch whisky. But they are different from one another. The old fashioned is a far older cocktail, with origins somewhere in the 1800s.
On the other hand, the Manhattan cocktail was concocted sometime at the end of the 19th century. While the old fashioned focuses more on exploring the flavours of the whisky as they are, the Manhattan incorporates sweet vermouth in the recipe for more flavour complexity.
What is the main difference between the ingredients required to build the two cocktails?
The old fashioned can be concocted using 30 ml good quality bourbon or rye whisky brought together with a dash of bitters, a sugar cube and an orange twist.
For its part, the Manhattan can be blended using 20 ml Johnnie Walker Black Label or any other premium blended Scotch whisky of choice, coupled with 10 ml sweet vermouth, a dash of bitters and a macerated cherry for garnish.
Which whisky is traditionally used for making these cocktails?
The old fashioned can be traditionally prepared using rye or bourbon. The Manhattan is conventionally prepared using rye whisky, but it is versatile enough to be concocted using a blended Scotch too, for a broader flavour exploration.
What are the prominent tasting notes of the old fashioned?
The old fashioned cocktail is basically a spirit forward blend. It explores the nuances of the rye whisky or bourbon used for blending and thus carries a slightly sweet flavour with subtle bitter, orangish notes.
Which are the pronounced flavours found in the Manhattan cocktail?
With more herbal flavours emanating out of the sweet vermouth, the Manhattan has a complex flavour and carries a sweet taste laced with some mildly tart notes.
How are each of these cocktails traditionally served?
Interestingly, both cocktails are presented differently, and the serving style is one of the best ways to tell them apart.
– Old Fashioned: Served in a short rocks glass over ice.
– Manhattan: A cocktail stirred with ice before being strained into a chilled coupé or martini cocktail glass, without adding ice.
Which of the two drinks carries more robust flavours?
In terms of the more pronounced notes of whisky, the old fashioned shines through because it dives deep into the spirit’s overall profile, without the addition of other liqueurs. This creates more robust tasting notes in the cocktail.
The Manhattan slightly tapers down the notes of the whisky present in the cocktail due to the presence of the sweet vermouth, making for a slightly softer blend.
How can an amateur decide between a Manhattan or an old fashioned, at the bar?
While looking for a drink with pronounced whisky flavours, the amateur can opt for the old fashioned. For a smooth, aromatic and sophisticated cocktail experience, the Manhattan can be the go-to alternative.
What is a quick visual cue to distinguish between the two cocktails?
If one spots a deep, orange, brownish drink in a short rocks glass with ice, it can very well be the old fashioned. Contrarily, a drink in a stemmed coupé or a martini cocktail glass with a reddish colour, served without ice indicates a Manhattan.
As an amateur, look for glassware, hue and texture to spot the difference between the two drinks, before the actual tasting experience which will end up revealing the flavour nuances that distinguish the two classics from each other.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
