Black Manhattan

Things aren’t always so black and white in the Manhattan cocktail world. 

The classic Manhattan cocktail is no stranger to riffs. Since its creation in the 1800s, it’s been the inspiration for innumerable variations. Bartenders have swapped the traditional sweet vermouth for dry vermouth like in the Brooklyn, snuck in absinthe for the Waldorf, and layered in beautiful botanicals for cocktails like the Greenpoint, Fanciulli Manhattan, and the Jane Russell. And then there’s the million dollar Manhattan question – Bourbon or Rye? 

The original Manhattan relied on bourbon whiskey as its base, but 150 years later bourbon isn’t always a given. Nowadays bartenders would likely argue that the Manhattan is not whiskey exclusive – you can happily make or order it with either bourbon or rye. Yet in the world of Manhattan riffs, the spirit is not so negotiable. The Rob Roy, for example, lets Scotch whiskey shine, while drinks like the Red Hook, Waldorf, and Jane Russell all call for rye. However, no cocktail makes a better argument for rye than the Black Manhattan. 

As the name suggests, the Black Manhattan is indeed another item on the ever-growing list of Manhattan variations. It’s the brainchild of Todd Smith, who worked as a bartender at San Francisco’s Bourbon & Branch bar. Unlike some of its riffable cousins, the Black Manhattan has kept things simple with just rye whiskey, bitters, and Averna amaro. And sure, the Black Manhattan is a wonderful nod to rye, but that doesn’t stop Averna from being the star. Averna is a type of Italian amaro that dates back to 1868 in Sicily. It’s a thick, sweet amaro that packs a ton of citrus, licorice, and botanical flavors, along with a beautiful black color. Which, yes, is how the Black Manhattan earned both its color and its name. 

When the Averna amaro is mixed together with two types of bitters and rye, the resulting cocktail is lightly herbal, a bit more bitter, and infinitely more complex than the original Manhattan.