High West Manhattan Barrel Finished Cocktail
High West Manhattan Barrel Finished Cocktail is a complete Manhattan, batched and barrel-finished in Park City — 37% ABV (74 proof), 750mL, straight bourbon and straight rye whiskies married with sweet vermouth and aromatic bitters in the classic 2:1 ratio, then rested in used rye barrels and bottled without chill filtration. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 37% (74 proof)
- Size: 750mL (about 12 cocktails)
- Style: Bottled ready-to-drink Manhattan cocktail
- Recipe: Straight bourbon (75% corn / 21% rye / 4% barley malt, MGP) + straight rye (95% rye / 5% barley malt, MGP), 2:1, with sweet vermouth and aromatic bitters
- Finish: Rested in used rye barrels; no chill filtration
- Origin: Park City, Utah (High West Distillery)
The Manhattan, Batched by the Distillery
High West launched its barrel-finished cocktails in 2020 out of its own bar programme — Master Distiller Brendan Coyle and Beverage Director Steve Walton building the drinks the way the saloon would, then giving the finished cocktail a rest in used rye barrels so the whiskey, vermouth and bitters marry instead of merely mixing. The whiskey base is deliberately two-handed: a 75%-corn bourbon for the sweetness, a 95%-rye for the spice, both in the classic 2:1 whiskey-to-vermouth proportion. The Manhattan itself is an old claim — High West frames it as first appearing in print in O.H. Byron's 1884 Modern Bartender's Guide. Pour it from the ready-to-drink end of our whisky shelf, or browse the distillery on the High West vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Black cherry, stewed strawberry, orange peel, molasses and cinnamon bark (official notes). Palate: Cherry turnover, spiced apple and raisin with candied orange rind and savoury spice. Finish: Orange pastry, dark chocolate and dried fig.
How to Enjoy
Pour over ice in a rocks glass — or stir briefly and strain up — and garnish with a brandied cherry. Once opened, refrigerate and enjoy within about 30 days per the brand's guidance; unopened, it keeps for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a whiskey or a cocktail? A cocktail — a complete, ready-to-drink Manhattan made from straight bourbon, straight rye, sweet vermouth and bitters, finished in rye barrels. No mixing, measuring or vermouth bottle required.
How many drinks are in the bottle? About twelve cocktails from the 750mL at a standard pour — it is batched at full cocktail strength (74 proof), not as a concentrate to dilute.
Why finish a cocktail in a barrel? Time in used rye barrels lets the components integrate — the vermouth's fruit and the whiskies' spice round into each other the way a stirred drink never quite manages in sixty seconds.
Park City's Manhattan, ready to pour — buy High West Manhattan Cocktail online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
