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 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 leaves freshly picked lettuce leaves for sirup; 2 leaves fresh and crisp lettuce leaves for garnishing; 1 cup raw sugar for sirup; 1 cup water for sirup; 6 ice cubes; 4 oz bourbon; 2 oz sweet vermouth; 4 dashes orange bitters

A fresh take on the classic Manhattan cocktail

Category Cocktail

Prep 20 minutes

Cook 5 minutes

Style American

Technique boiling

Diet Friendly Vegetarian

Daily recipe · April 15, 2025

A little about this dish

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.

A final fox tip

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.