Handy & Schiller Barreled Manhattan Cocktail
Handy & Schiller Barreled Manhattan Cocktail is a 35% ABV (70 proof), 750mL ready-to-drink Manhattan built on Sazerac Rye Whiskey with vermouth and Peychaud's Bitters — then aged together in Sazerac Rye barrels at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, so the rye spice, vermouth fruit and bitters marry in the wood before bottling. No mixing, no measuring: pour it neat or over ice and garnish. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 35% (70 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Base: Sazerac Rye Whiskey
- Build: Rye whiskey, vermouth, Peychaud's Bitters
- Ageing: The blended cocktail is barrel-aged in Sazerac Rye barrels
- Produced: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky (Sazerac)
- Award: Silver Medal, Tastings.com (quoted by Sazerac)
Named for the Men of the Sazerac Coffee House
Handy & Schiller honours Thomas Handy and John Schiller, who worked together at the Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans' French Quarter — Schiller ran the house by 1860, and Handy, who started under him, went on to build his own liquor business and is credited in Sazerac company history with switching the Sazerac cocktail from French brandy to American rye. The brand sits in Sazerac's Merchants Exchange Co. line, named for the coffee house's original name, and its barreled cocktails take the two most-ordered whiskey classics and finish the work in the barrel: the ingredients are blended, rested together in rye barrels at Buffalo Trace, and bottled ready to pour. See the line on the Handy & Schiller vendor page, try its bourbon-built sibling, the Handy & Schiller Barreled Old Fashioned, or browse more ready-to-drink cocktails.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Vanilla-almond nougat, candied cherry and butterscotch over rye spice, with tobacco and toast. Palate: Satiny and moderately sweet, light-to-medium bodied — Sazerac calls it well balanced, with the right amount of rye and spice. Finish: Fruit with subtle sweetness, banana taffy, molasses and raisin cake in Tastings.com's notes.
How to Enjoy
Pour neat or over a large cube, straight from the bottle — the barrel ageing has already done the stirring-down for you. A cherry or an orange twist is the only garnish it asks for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What whiskey is in the Handy & Schiller Manhattan? Sazerac Rye Whiskey. It is blended with vermouth and Peychaud's Bitters, then the finished cocktail is aged in Sazerac Rye barrels at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky.
Do I need anything else to serve it? No — it is a complete, ready-to-drink Manhattan at 35% ABV. Pour over ice or neat and garnish with a cherry or orange peel if you like.
Why does it say Louisiana when it is made in Kentucky? The brand honours its New Orleans Sazerac Coffee House heritage; the liquid itself is produced, aged and bottled at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.
A barrel-aged Manhattan with the work already done — order Handy & Schiller Barreled Manhattan from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.