Sazerac vs Manhattan: Two Rye Classics Compared

The Sazerac and the Manhattan are the two great stirred rye cocktails of the nineteenth century, one from New Orleans and one from New York. Both start with two ounces of rye. After that they part ways: the Manhattan softens the whiskey with an ounce of sweet vermouth and serves it up; the Sazerac seasons it with sugar, Peychaud's bitters and an anise rinse and serves it neat in a chilled rocks glass with no ice.

This is the Sazerac vs Manhattan comparison: build, taste, strength, history and which to order. The full recipes are the rye Sazerac recipe and the rye Manhattan recipe; the Manhattan's own library is in the Manhattan Corner.

The Short Version

• Shared core: two ounces of rye, stirred with ice and strained. Both were rye drinks in their home cities.
• Sazerac: sweetened with a quarter-ounce of syrup or a cube, seasoned with Peychaud's, served neat in a rocks glass rinsed with Herbsaint or absinthe, lemon peel expressed over the top.
• Manhattan: softened with an ounce of sweet vermouth, seasoned with Angostura, served up in a coupe with a cherry.
• Strength: the Sazerac. There is no vermouth to dilute it, and it lands around 31–35% ABV.
• Order the Sazerac to taste the whiskey with aromatics around it; order the Manhattan for something rounder and wine-sweet.

Side-by-Side: Build at a Glance

Both Recipes, Side by Side

The Sazerac

1. Fill a rocks glass with ice to chill.
2. In a mixing glass combine 2 oz straight rye, 1/4 oz rich demerara syrup and 3 dashes Peychaud's. Add ice and stir 30–45 seconds.
3. Dump the ice, add about 1/4 oz Herbsaint or absinthe, swirl to coat, and pour out the excess.
4. Strain in — no ice — and express a lemon peel over the top; discard it or set it on the rim.

Sugar options, the Angostura question and the two-glass method are in how to make a Sazerac.

The Manhattan

1. Chill a coupe or Nick & Nora glass.
2. In a mixing glass with ice, combine 2 oz straight rye, 1 oz fresh sweet vermouth and 2 dashes Angostura.
3. Stir about 30 seconds; strain into the chilled glass.
4. Garnish with a brandied cherry, or express a lemon twist.

Ratios and bottle picks are in the rye Manhattan recipe.

Origins: New Orleans and New York

The Sazerac's story is tangled. The traditional account, told by the Sazerac Company, starts at the Sazerac Coffee House with Cognac and a switch to rye after phylloxera; David Wondrich, in the Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails, finds no evidence for a Cognac original. What the record shows is a rye whisky cocktail made at Thomas Handy's Sazerac House in the 1890s by Vincent Miret and Billy Wilkinson, first named in print as the Sazerac in 1899, and a rinse-and-discard of absinthe that was the bar's signature by 1901. Its bones are older still: the Oxford Companion calls Jerry Thomas's 1876 Improved Whiskey Cocktail nearly identical apart from the rinse.

The Manhattan is a New York drink of the 1870s, in print by the mid-1880s as whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters, and built around the rye the city drank. Its full story is in the Manhattan Corner's history hub; the Sazerac's is in the Sazerac history hub. In 2008 Louisiana made the Sazerac the official cocktail of the city of New Orleans — not, as is often said, of the state.

How They Taste

Both drinks are rye at the center. The difference is what surrounds it: in a Manhattan, a fortified wine; in a Sazerac, aromatics.

A Sazerac is closer to an Old Fashioned than to a Manhattan: PUNCH calls it New Orleans' take on the Old Fashioned, and the only real changes are Peychaud's, the rinse, lemon rather than orange, and no ice. The rye Sazerac flavor profile breaks down each layer.

Which Is Stronger?

The Sazerac, clearly. Both carry two ounces of rye, but the Manhattan adds an ounce of vermouth at fortified-wine strength while the Sazerac adds only a quarter-ounce of syrup. A 2 oz Sazerac with a 90–100 proof rye lands around 31–35% ABV after the stir — Difford's computes 34.16% for its 1 1/2 oz, 100-proof spec — and it is served without ice, so it doesn't soften as you drink. A Manhattan lands in the high 20s.

Up, or Neat in a Rocks Glass?

Neither drink sits on ice, but they reach the glass differently. A Manhattan goes into a chilled stem. A Sazerac goes into a rocks glass that has been chilled with ice, emptied and rinsed — the Sazerac House uses two glasses for exactly this. No reputable source serves a Sazerac over ice; the glass's cold is the only thing keeping it cold, which is why the chill matters. The glass guide covers the details.

Which Should You Order?

One Shelf for Both

• Rye, 100 proof — Rittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond Rye (100 proof) makes both drinks well. The Sazerac Bottle Library and the budget guide rank the field.
• Peychaud's and Angostura — one for each drink, and a dash of Angostura is an optional addition to a Sazerac. See the Peychaud's guide.
• Herbsaint or absinthe — for the rinse; absinthe vs Herbsaint explains the choice.
• Sweet vermouth — for the Manhattan, refrigerated after opening.

The Drink in Between

New Orleans already built the bridge. The De La Louisiane keeps the Sazerac's rye, Peychaud's and absinthe and adds the Manhattan's sweet vermouth plus Bénédictine, served up with cherries. The Vieux Carré goes further, splitting rye with Cognac. Both show how close the two families sit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Sazerac and a Manhattan?

Both start with two ounces of rye. The Manhattan adds an ounce of sweet vermouth and Angostura and is served up with a cherry. The Sazerac adds a little sugar and Peychaud's and is served neat in a chilled rocks glass rinsed with absinthe or Herbsaint, with lemon peel.

Which is stronger, a Sazerac or a Manhattan?

The Sazerac. It has no vermouth to dilute it and lands around 31–35% ABV after the stir; a Manhattan lands in the high 20s.

Is a Sazerac sweeter than a Manhattan?

No. A Sazerac uses a quarter-ounce of syrup or a sugar cube; a Manhattan uses an ounce of sweet vermouth. The Sazerac reads drier and more spirit-forward.

Is a Sazerac served on ice?

No. The glass is chilled with ice, emptied and rinsed, and the stirred drink is strained in neat. No reputable source serves it over ice.

Is a Sazerac more like a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned?

An Old Fashioned. PUNCH calls it New Orleans' take on the Old Fashioned; the differences are Peychaud's, the absinthe rinse, lemon rather than orange, and no ice.

Can I use the same rye for both?

Yes. A 100-proof bonded rye makes an excellent Manhattan and is Chris Hannah's recommendation for a Sazerac with a Herbsaint rinse.