Manhattan Vs Old Fashioned: What Sets These Classic Drinks Apart?

When it comes to making classic cocktails, a Manhattan and an old fashioned are two of the most well known. The boozy beverages share several similarities: They're both spirit-forward whiskey-based drinks dating back to the 19th century, with a hint of sweetness balanced by a dash of Angostura bitters. But they're actually very different drinks — from how they're made to the serving style and the taste.

The two cocktails are served in different glasses with unique garnishes, which gives them a distinctive appearance. An old fashioned is traditionally served in a rocks glass, over one large cube of ice. The garnish tends to be a strip of fragrant orange zest. A Manhattan, on the other hand, is usually strained into a stemmed coupe or martini glass after it's been stirred with ice. Its signature garnish is most commonly a cocktail cherry.

An old fashioned tends to feature bourbon as the star ingredient, which gives it a comforting warmth with notes of vanilla and caramel – though some mixologists favor Tennessee whiskey for the drink. However, bourbon isn't the best choice for a Manhattan — instead, you're better off opting for rye in this cocktail. It lends the beverage a distinctive peppery spiciness, which stops it from tasting overly sweet. This is important because one key thing that really does differentiate an old fashioned from a Manhattan is the source of sweetness, which has a big impact on the flavor of the cocktails.

An old fashioned gets its sweetness from sugar — either by muddling a cube with water and bitters in a glass or by using a liquid simple syrup. Whether it's better to use sugar cubes or simple syrup for the cocktail very much depends on personal preference. Some people find a simple syrup to be easier to use than the muddling method though the latter means the flavors of the drink continue to evolve and become sweeter as you drink it.

When you're mixing up a perfect Manhattan, there's no actual sugar involved. Instead, the drink gets its sweetness from sweet vermouth. A type of aromatic fortified wine, the vermouth adds extra layers of complexity as the drink takes on a spicier and more herbaceous quality. The overall sweetness is more subtle in a Manhattan than in an old fashioned.

The balance of flavors is affected even further if you make a perfect version of the cocktail. Rather than referring to how good it is, a perfect Manhattan uses equal amounts of both sweet and dry vermouth. To make one, mix two ounces of whiskey with ½ ounce each of sweet and dry vermouth instead of the usual ounce of sweet vermouth. Both the regular and perfect versions are modified by a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters for added depth.