Last week, we carbonated a Daiquiri using a handheld carbonator. And we loved it – easy, fun, (a little dangerous), and delicious. So we decided to try it again this week with another classic cocktail, this time a Sparkling Manhattan. I suspect we’ll be doing this a lot around our house from now on. –Andrew

A Sparkling Manhattan

2 oz Rye Whiskey
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Combine the whiskey, vermouth, and bitters in a mixing glass and stir well with ice. Strain into a handheld carbonator like this one. Charge it with carbon dioxide per the carbonator’s instructions. Pour into a flute glass and garnish with a candied cherry. Enjoy!

A Manhattan is a glorious drink, rich with oaky, spicy flavor. Carbonating a Manhattan isn’t something I’d do every day, but it is a fun spin on the classic drink. Since carbonation creates carbonic acid, a sparkling Manhattan will be a bit more acidic, a bit drier than usual. Think of this like the dry champagne version of a fruity white wine. Effervescent, light, and very fun.

Carbonation works best when liquids are very cold, so you could keep your whiskey and even your vermouth in the freezer for a bit before you mix this up. We’ve also found that it can take a couple of CO2 canisters to fully carbonate our Manhattans, which we mixed up in a big batch in order to fill up the bottle that came with our carbonator.

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Glassware by Liquorary

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper