A crystal-clear cocktail glass that carries a beautiful amber-colored liquid, garnished with a delicate fan of fresh lettuce leaf on its rim. The cocktail's radiance is further accentuated by a couple of glacier ice cubes glistening within. It imparts a feel as refreshing and invigorating as mild spring itself.

New Wave Manhattan

Name: New Wave Manhattan
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: freshly picked lettuce leaves, 4 leaves for sirup; fresh and crisp lettuce leaves, 2 leaves for garnishing; raw sugar, 1 cup for sirup; water, 1 cup for sirup; ice cubes, 6; bourbon, 4 oz; sweet vermouth, 2 oz; orange bitters, 4 dashes

Category Cocktail

Prep 20 minutes

Cook 5 minutes

Style American

Technique boiling

Diet Friendly Vegetarian

Daily Recipe: April 15, 2025

The star of this story is New Wave Manhattan, a fascinating reinvention of a classic cocktail, garnished with the fresh crispiness of lettuce. The combination of bourbon, vermouth, and the unexpected touch of lettuce sirup, creates a beautiful balance of flavors, that is seasonally perfect.

Ingredients (for 2)

Freshly picked lettuce leaves - 4 leaves - for sirup
Fresh and crisp lettuce leaves - 2 leaves - for garnishing
Raw sugar - 1 cup - for sirup
Water - 1 cup - for sirup
Ice cubes - 6
Bourbon - 4 oz
Sweet vermouth - 2 oz
Orange bitters - 4 dashes

Preparation

Step 1 - 🍃🔥💧

Combine 1 cup of raw sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Add 4 torn up lettuce leaves and stir until sugar dissolves. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes to extract lettuce flavor. Strain the solids and let the lettuce syrup cool.
Step 2 - 🍹🍸🍃

In a shaker, combine 4 oz of bourbon, 2 oz of sweet vermouth, your homemade lettuce syrup and 4 dashes of orange bitters.
Step 3 - ❄️🍸💃

Add 6 ice cubes to the shaker. Shake until the drink is well-chilled.
Step 4 - 🍹🍸🍃

Strain the drink into cocktail glasses over ice, and garnish with 2 fresh and crisp lettuce leaves.

Additional

You can replace bourbon with rye whisky or substitute sweet vermouth with dry vermouth to get a more personalized cocktail. Get creative with your garnish; maybe use a lettuce bouquet or even a lettuce straw for added fun.