Manhatten Cocktail

Like so many cocktails, the origins of the Manhattan are lost in time. The Democrat newspaper remarked in 1882 that, “It is but a short time ago that a mixture of whiskey, vermouth and bitters came into vogue” and observed that it had been known as a Turf Club cocktail, a Jockey Club cocktail and a Manhattan cocktail.

There are many theories to how the Manhattan came about and the most popular of these is that in the early 1880s Dr Iain Marshall came up with the recipe for a party that was held at the Manhattan Club in New York City by Lady Randolph Churchill, Winston’s mother. Many people in the industry now believe that this story is a myth and that at the time Lady Randolph Churchill was pregnant (with Winston!) and at home in England, therefore not partying in New York.

Some now think that a man going by the name of ‘Black’ invented the cocktail at the famed Hoffman House in New York City. Whichever story you choose to believe The Manhattan Club still lays claim to the ownership of the recipe to this very day and the cocktail is still widely available in bars, restaurants and cafes throughout the world and is regarded by many bartenders as one of the best cocktails to ever have been served.