Manhattan Cherries & Garnish: Luxardo, Brandied & the Orange Twist

The cherry is the last thing you taste in a Manhattan and the first thing that gives a bad bar away. A dark, dense brandied cherry — the kind sold in a jar of thick syrup — closes the drink with a quiet sweetness and a little of its own liqueur. A neon-red supermarket cherry closes it with sugar water and food coloring. Same drink, different ending.

This guide covers the cherry in detail — what makes a good one, the main styles, how to use them — and the twist as the drier alternative. Its Old Fashioned counterpart, Old Fashioned cherries and garnish, covers the orange-peel side of the family.

The Short Version

• Classic garnish: one brandied or marasca cherry, dropped into the drink. Eat it last.
• Drier alternative: a lemon twist, expressed over the surface. Standard for Perfect and Dry Manhattans.
• Bourbon Manhattans take an orange twist well; the citrus flatters the caramel.
• Avoid: bright-red maraschino cherries — sugar, color and almond flavoring; they make the last sip taste artificial.
• A bar spoon of the cherry syrup is an optional, old-fashioned sweetener; use it only with a dry rye and a lighter vermouth.

What Makes a Good Manhattan Cherry

Three things: the fruit, the liquid and the texture. The best cocktail cherries start as sour (marasca or morello-type) cherries, not sweet eating cherries; they are preserved in a syrup made from the same fruit, or in brandy or a cherry liqueur; and they stay dense and slightly chewy rather than turning soft. The result is dark — almost black — and tastes of cherry and almond with a bitter edge, which is exactly what a rye-and-vermouth drink wants at the finish.

The bright-red cherry on an ice-cream sundae is the opposite: bleached, re-dyed, sweetened with corn syrup and flavored with almond extract. It has its uses. The Manhattan isn't one of them.

The Main Styles

None of these is a "wrong" choice; they're different endings. Luxardo is the reference and the easiest to find; whiskey-soaked cherries are the most Manhattan-shaped of the rest.

How to Use the Cherry

1. One cherry, not three. It's a finish, not a fruit cup. Two is acceptable in a Reverse Manhattan.
2. Drop it in, don't skewer it, unless the glass is a rocks glass and you need a pick to retrieve it.
3. Drain it briefly. A cherry straight from the jar carries a bar spoon of syrup with it, which sweetens the drink. Lift it out and let the excess drip.
4. Want it sweeter on purpose? Add a bar spoon of the syrup to the mixing glass. Early recipes often added a little gum syrup, curaçao or maraschino liqueur in the same spirit; the cherry syrup works with a dry high-rye and a lighter vermouth. Skip it with a rich Torino vermouth.
5. Keep the jar in the fridge once opened. The syrup preserves the cherries for months; the fridge keeps them firm.

The Twist

A lemon twist is the Manhattan's drier garnish and the traditional choice for the Perfect and Dry versions. Cut a wide strip of peel with a Y-peeler, hold it skin-side down over the glass, and pinch it sharply so the oil sprays across the surface; then rub the rim and drop it in. The citrus oil sits on top of the drink and changes the nose completely — bright and sharp over the vermouth's vanilla.

An orange twist does the same job with a rounder, sweeter oil, and flatters the caramel in a bourbon Manhattan. Some bars offer both cherry and twist together; it's a legitimate garnish, if a busy one.

Garnish by Manhattan

Making Brandied Cherries at Home

Pit a pound of sour cherries (frozen is fine). Warm a cup of sugar with a cup of water until dissolved, take it off the heat and add a cup of brandy — or rye, for a whiskey cherry — plus a strip of lemon peel and, if you like, a cinnamon stick. Pour it over the cherries in a clean jar, cool, seal and refrigerate. They're usable in a week and best after a month; they keep for several months in the fridge. The syrup doubles as a Manhattan sweetener.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cherry goes in a Manhattan?

A brandied or marasca cocktail cherry — dark, dense and preserved in syrup or liqueur. Luxardo marasca cherries are the benchmark; amarena-style and whiskey-soaked cherries are good alternatives. Avoid bright-red maraschino cherries.

Why not use regular maraschino cherries?

The bright-red supermarket kind are bleached, dyed and flavored with almond extract and corn syrup. They make the last sip of a Manhattan taste artificial. A proper cocktail cherry tastes of cherry.

Should a Manhattan have a cherry or a twist?

The classic rye Manhattan takes a cherry; Perfect and Dry Manhattans take a lemon twist; bourbon Manhattans suit an orange twist. Choose the cherry for a sweeter finish and the twist for a drier one.

Do you add the cherry syrup to a Manhattan?

Optionally. A bar spoon of the syrup in the mixing glass sweetens the drink, much as the gum syrup or maraschino in some early recipes did. Use it with a dry high-rye and a lighter vermouth; skip it with a rich vermouth.

How many cherries in a Manhattan?

One. It's a finish, not a fruit course. Two is fine in a Reverse Manhattan.

How do you store cocktail cherries?

Refrigerate the jar once opened and keep the cherries under the syrup. They keep for months.