The Manhattan was built on Pennsylvania rye, and for nearly a century it has been made without it. Wigle Whiskey today released its Manhattan Ready to Serve, a bottled version of the classic built on the whiskey style Western Pennsylvania invented and Prohibition nearly erased.
The Manhattan Ready to Serve is 34% ABV and is available for purchase at the Wigle Whiskey Distillery, Wigle Ross Park Mall Bottle Shop, and online for shipping within Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. at wiglewhiskey.com.
The Pittsburgh-based distillery is known for celebrating history, particularly the legacy of the Whiskey Rebellion in Western Pennsylvania. With this release, Wigle Whiskey adds a bottle to its portfolio that honors a beloved historic cocktail.
The Manhattan first appeared in print in 1882, when newspapers noted a new vogue for a mixture of whiskey, vermouth and bitters that was circulating under several names before Manhattan stuck. The whiskey in it was rye — and in that era, the rye Americans drank came from Western Pennsylvania.
Known as Monongahela rye, the style was created by Scots-Irish and Pennsylvania German farmers who distilled their grain because it was the only practical way to move it over the Alleghenies. It became the dominant whiskey in the country. By 1808, distillers in Allegheny County were producing the equivalent of half a barrel of whiskey for every American alive, and licensed stills across Western Pennsylvania peaked at roughly 4,000 in the 19th century. Prohibition ended it. Afterward, only a handful of stills remained in the entire country, and American whiskey’s center of gravity moved south to Kentucky.
The cocktail survived. The whiskey that built it did not.
“The Manhattan is the clearest evidence of what was lost — it’s a drink that was designed around a whiskey this region invented, and then spent a century being made with everything except it,” said Alex Moser, Chief Operating Officer at Wigle Whiskey. “We’re not inventing anything. We’re putting the original ingredient back, our rye whiskey.”
Wigle’s Manhattan is built with the distillery’s Pennsylvania rye and Little City Sweet Vermouth, a small-production vermouth made by hand on Seneca Lake from New York State wine and 53 botanicals. Wigle selected it for its weight and bitterness — qualities that let it stand alongside rye rather than be overwhelmed by it.
“The Manhattan has always been a drink that brings the best of different places together in the same glass. That’s what makes it great,” said Will Clark, founder of Little City Vermouth. “Wigle is restoring the Pennsylvania half of it. We bring the New York half—vermouth made from grapes grown in our state on our farm. The pieces—and places—come together to form a whole. We’re proud to be a part of it.”
The bottle requires no measuring or mixing. It is served over ice with a cherry garnish.
Wigle Whiskey was the first distillery to open in the City of Pittsburgh since Prohibition. It is named for Philip Wigle, a Western Pennsylvania farmer-distiller who was convicted of treason for his role in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 and subsequently pardoned by President George Washington.
Product Details
Spirit Name: Manhattan Bottled Cocktail
Spirit Category: Bottled Cocktail
Release: 8/25/2026
Proof: 68 proof / 34% ABV
Format: 750 ml
Price: $35
Tasting Notes: Cherry, Bitters, Charred Orange
About Wigle Whiskey
Wigle Whiskey is an award-winning spirits company producing small-batch, craft whiskey with unique and distinctive flavor profiles. As a true grain-to-glass producer, Wigle cherishes the art of craft distilling, sourcing grains from local farmers and crafting each bottle by hand with an expert distilling team. This commitment to quality and tradition, rooted in the rich history of whiskey production in Western Pennsylvania, has earned Wigle national recognition, including being named the Most Awarded Craft Distillery by the American Craft Spirits Association and ranking among the top 10 best craft distilleries in America by USA Today.
About Little City Vermouth
Little City Vermouth is a small-batch, craft brand of vermouth founded by professional musician Will Clark. The recipes were originally developed in Clark’s Harlem, New York kitchen and are now commercially produced using 100% New York State grapes (specifically Cayuga and Valvin Muscat varieties) sourced from Hunt Country Vineyards in the Finger Lakes region.