Variations to shake – or, actually, stir – up the classic Manhattan

Cocktail enthusiast Adrienne Stillman’s Spirited.Supplied

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If the classic Manhattan is your go-to tipple on a cold night, cocktail enthusiast Adrienne Stillman’s Spirited features page after page of variations that can help you shake – or, actually, stir – things up

REVERSE MANHATTAN

A lower alcohol alternative to the classic Manhattan, this reverse cocktail gives vermouth the starring role.

1 oz (30 ml) rye or bourbon

2 oz (60 ml) sweet vermouth

4 dashes Angostura bitters

Brandied cherry (to garnish)

Opt for a full-bodied vermouth and higher-proof whiskey to give the drink some backbone. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice and stir for 25 to 30 seconds or until well chilled. Strain into a coupe. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

PALMETTO

An equal-parts rum-based Manhattan from the early 20th century, this drink is also known as the Cuban Manhattan. Palmetto is a dwarf palm tree native to Cuba.

1½ oz (45 ml) aged rum

1½ oz (45 ml) sweet vermouth

2 dashes orange bitters

Orange twist (to garnish)

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice and stir for 25 to 30 seconds or until well chilled. Strain into a coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.

LEFT HAND

This modern classic was created by Sam Ross of New York’s Attaboy. He describes it as “the love child of a Negroni and a Manhattan.”

1½ oz (45 ml) bourbon

¾ oz (22 ml) Campari

¾ oz (22 ml) sweet vermouth

2 dashes chocolate bitters

Brandied cherry (to garnish)

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice and stir for 25 to 30 seconds or until well chilled. Strain into a coupe. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

Excerpted with permission from Spirited: Cocktails from Around the World by Adrienne Stillman, $59.95 at bookstores and online (phaidon.com).