Handy & Schiller Barreled Manhattan Cocktail Featuring Sazerac Rye 750ml

Handy and Schiller Barreled Manhattan is a premium barrel aged ready to pour Manhattan cocktail from Sazerac Company's Merchants Exchange Co. line, crafted, aged, and bottled at the legendary Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky under the watchful eye of Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. The cocktail is built around gold medal award winning Sazerac Rye Whiskey, blended with sweet vermouth, the famous New Orleans staple Peychaud's Bitters, and a touch of caramel color, then rested together in carefully selected Sazerac Rye barrels for an extended aging period that marries the components into one harmonious, fully integrated cocktail. The result delivers the perfect bar quality Manhattan from the bottle, with the rye whiskey backbone, herbal vermouth sweetness, gentle Peychaud's spice, and warm Sazerac Rye barrel oak character all balanced into a single ready to pour expression. The brand name honors two pioneering figures of New Orleans cocktail history: John Schiller, the New York bartender who relocated to New Orleans and by 1860 was operating the world famous Sazerac Coffeehouse in the French Quarter, and Thomas Handy, a Maryland native who worked for Schiller at the Coffeehouse and later founded his own importing and wholesale liquor business, whose influence on early American cocktail culture inspired over 150 years of New Orleans drinking tradition. Bottled at 35% ABV, this is the ideal pour for hosts who want a craft cocktail experience without the bar work. Silver Medal at Tastings.com and 87 points from the Beverage Tasting Institute.

ABV / Proof

Tasting Notes

Color: Golden amber to dark copper with warm garnet highlights.

Nose: Vanilla almond nougat, candied cherries, butterscotch, tobacco, toast, Boston cream pie, dried orange peel, and corn bread, with herbal vermouth and gentle rye spice in the background.

Palate: Satiny and moderately sweet, with sweet red fruit, warm rye spice, bitters, honeyed herbs, dried cherry, toasted coconut, slivered almond, cola, cherry, citrus peel, and rounded oak tones.

Finish: Smooth and lingering, with banana taffy, molasses, raisin cake, cherry, spice, soft oak, and integrated barrel warmth.

FAQ

How is this different from a homemade Manhattan? A traditional Manhattan is stirred fresh, with rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters served immediately over ice. Handy and Schiller takes the same recipe and rests the finished cocktail in Sazerac Rye barrels for an extended aging period, allowing the ingredients to marry and the barrel to impart additional vanilla, oak, and spice character. The result is a fully integrated, harmonized Manhattan that tastes like a great bar Manhattan that has been resting in the glass for a few minutes, with deeper oak and vanilla complexity than any fresh stirred version can deliver.

Who were Thomas Handy and John Schiller? John Schiller was a New York bartender who relocated to New Orleans and by 1860 was operating the world famous Sazerac Coffeehouse at 13 Exchange Alley in the French Quarter. Thomas Handy was a Maryland native who worked for Schiller at the Coffeehouse and later founded his own importing and wholesale liquor business, where he became one of the most influential figures in early American cocktail culture. Together they helped establish New Orleans as the birthplace of the American cocktail, and the Sazerac Cocktail (still a New Orleans staple) was born during their era at the Coffeehouse.

How should I serve it? Pour 3 ounces into a chilled coupe or rocks glass, neat or over a single large ice cube. Garnish with a brandied cherry or an orange twist for the classic Manhattan presentation. Because the cocktail is already barrel aged and fully proofed at 35% ABV, no additional vermouth, bitters, or rye is needed. It can also be sipped at room temperature like a digestif on its own.

What is the Sazerac Company connection? Handy and Schiller is one of the signature lines under the Merchants Exchange Co. brand portfolio from Sazerac Company, the parent owner of Buffalo Trace Distillery, Sazerac Rye, Pappy Van Winkle, Eagle Rare, Blanton's, and many other iconic American whiskey brands. The Sa