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Is a Manhattan Cocktail Better with Bourbon or Rye? - New Riff
Whiskey, vermouth, and bitters. The quintessential classic cocktail has made many variations over the past 150 years. People often choose to substitute the traditional 2 dashes of Angostura aromatic bitters with cherry juice or even orange bitters. However, a more debated question than cherry juice and bitters use is whether a cocktail tastes better with Bourbon or rye.
Spirit connoisseurs may frequent the debate over which whiskey makes a better Manhattan – American Rye or Bourbon whiskey. Although the original New York cocktail ingredients call for American Rye, bartenders from across the US have quickly adopted a substitution for the spirit with a Bourbon Manhattan variant.
The use of bourbon whiskey as a substitute for American Rye isn’t a new trend. Many bartenders across the US have made the bourbon addition a welcomed one behind the counter. For over a hundred years, Bourbon has been just as much of a staple in the classic Manhattan as American Rye whiskey.
Source: New Riff Distilling. Photo credit: New Riff Distilling.