Metropolitan
Brandy, sweet vermouth, a little sugar and Angostura, stirred. The 1880s brandy Manhattan from the Metropolitan Hotel — not the 1990s vodka drink of the same name.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a coupe.
Add the brandy, sweet vermouth, syrup and bitters to a mixing glass.
Fill with ice and stir for 25 seconds.
Strain into the chilled coupe, express a lemon twist over the top and drop it in.
A thoughtful finish
- The dash of syrup is the drink's difference from a Harvard; keep it to a quarter-ounce or the vermouth's own sugar doubles up.
- Equal parts is the 1895 recipe; two to one brandy is drier.
- A VS cognac or a good Spanish brandy; the vermouth hides anything finer.
Common mistakes
- Confusing it with the vodka-and-cranberry Metropolitan of the 1990s.
- Too much syrup.
- Shaking.
A few good questions.
Which Metropolitan is this?
The 1880s brandy cocktail — brandy, sweet vermouth, sugar and bitters. The 1990s vodka drink is a Cosmopolitan variation with the same name.
How is it different from a Harvard?
No soda and a dash of sugar. The Harvard is lighter; the Metropolitan richer.
What was the Metropolitan Hotel?
A grand hotel on Broadway at Prince Street, New York, from 1852 to 1895, whose bar the drink is attributed to.
Can I use rye?
Then it is a sweetened Manhattan; the brandy is the point.
Variations
- Harvard — Cognac, sweet vermouth, bitters and soda.
- Manhattan — Rye and sweet vermouth.
- Betsy Ross — Cognac and port.
- Sidecar — Cognac, orange liqueur and lemon.
Where it comes from
c. 1884 · New York City · Metropolitan Hotel
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
There are two Metropolitans. The old one, in George Kappeler’s 1895 book and attributed to the bar of the Metropolitan Hotel on Broadway, is brandy and sweet vermouth with a dash of sugar syrup and Angostura — a brandy Manhattan with the sweetness turned up a notch. The new one, from the 1990s, is a Cosmopolitan made with currant vodka, and it has nothing to do with this page. The brandy Metropolitan is the Harvard without the soda and with a touch more sugar, and it is a rich, warming after-dinner drink from the age when brandy cocktails outsold whiskey ones.
Sources
- George J. Kappeler, Modern American Drinks, 1895 (book)
- David Wondrich, Imbibe!, 2015 (book)
- Ted Haigh, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, 2009 (book)
Strength. About 1.44 US standard drinks at an estimated 21.8% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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