Manhattan vs. Old Fashioned: Key Differences Explained in Detail

A Manhattan is made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters served up, while an Old Fashioned is whiskey, sugar, and bitters served over ice.

Manhattan

• 2 oz rye or bourbon whiskey.
• 1 oz sweet vermouth.
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters.
• Served up in a coupe glass with a cherry.

Old Fashioned

• 2 oz bourbon or rye.
• 1 sugar cube or 1/4 oz simple syrup.
• 2 to 3 dashes bitters.
• Served over ice in a rocks glass with an orange peel.

Differences

Manhattan has vermouth and is served up. Old Fashioned has sugar and no vermouth, served on the rocks.

Origins

Old Fashioned dates to the early 1800s. Manhattan to the 1870s in New York.

Taste

Manhattan: herbal and sweet. Old Fashioned: whiskey-forward.

Responsible

Drink in moderation and don’t drive after drinking.

Typical recipe

• Old Fashioned: 2 oz bourbon or rye, a sugar cube or 1 tsp syrup, 2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters, orange peel.
• Manhattan: 2 oz rye or bourbon, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, cherry.

Glass and ice

An Old Fashioned goes in a short rocks glass over a large ice cube. A Manhattan is stirred and served up in a chilled coupe or martini glass.

Stirring

Both are stirred rather than shaken, because shaking adds too much air and dilution and clouds the drink. Stir for about 20 to 30 seconds.

Which whiskey

Rye gives a spicier taste, and bourbon makes it sweeter. Many bars use rye for Manhattans, but bourbon is common too.

Garnish

The Old Fashioned uses an orange peel, with oils expressed over the glass. The Manhattan uses a brandied cherry, not the bright red maraschino kind.

Strength

Both are around 28 to 32% alcohol by volume after dilution. Drink in moderation, never drive after drinking, and keep to the legal age.

Variations

Perfect Manhattan uses half sweet and half dry vermouth, a Rob Roy uses Scotch, and a Dry Manhattan uses dry vermouth.

Recipes and ingredient proportions

A classic Manhattan uses 2 ounces of rye or bourbon whiskey, 1 ounce of sweet vermouth and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters, stirred with ice and strained into a chilled coupe glass, then garnished with a brandied cherry. An Old Fashioned uses about 2 ounces of bourbon or rye, one sugar cube or 1/4 ounce of simple syrup and 2 to 3 dashes of Angostura bitters, stirred in a rocks glass over a large ice cube, and garnished with an orange peel. The Manhattan has no sugar added directly, but sweet vermouth adds sweetness and herbal notes, while the Old Fashioned is closer to straight whiskey with a hint of sugar.

Origin, strength and technique

The Old Fashioned traces to the early 1800s as a “cocktail” of spirits, sugar, water and bitters, and the name became common in the 1880s. The Manhattan appeared in the 1880s in New York City. Both are stirred, never shaken, to keep a silky texture without cloudiness. A Manhattan is typically about 28 to 30 percent alcohol by volume after dilution, and an Old Fashioned about 30 to 35 percent. A standard US drink contains 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol, and both cocktails usually contain more than one standard drink. Drinking in moderation means up to one drink per day for women and two for men, per the Dietary Guidelines, and people who do not drink should not start.

Based on data from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and cocktail history references