Van Helsing Takes Manhattan brings you a classic, a Manhattan, with a Halloween twist: garlic simple syrup and a garlic clove garnish, built on Wigle Whiskey’s 2026 Mothman Bourbon, the distillery’s current Halloween-season release. It’s a savory, well-balanced cocktail that happens to double as vampire repellent.

We’ve used Wigle Whiskey’s Mothman Bourbon. We know Mothman is a cryptid and not a vampire, but the spooky vibe and the locally made factor were too good to leave behind. Cryptid-inspire bourbon notwithstanding, one of these bourbon cocktails a day keeps the vampires away thanks to garlic simple syrup and a garlic garnish. It might not be a good idea to invite Dracula over for a drink when you’re serving this one. Maybe let the vampires at your party sip on one of our other Halloween cocktails instead.

Tips for Making a Bourbon Cocktail

It’s important to make sure that your flavors are balanced when you’re doing a mixology project with bourbon. This is why we’ve used sweet vermouth and simple syrup here. The strong, smoky taste of bourbon often needs other flavors to balance it out. This recipe asks for stirring, but it’s also important to know when to shake and when to stir. Shake cocktails that include juice or cream, and stir those that are spirit-forward, like this one.

Why You’ll Love Van Helsing Takes Manhattan

It’s a real Manhattan, not a gimmick. Bourbon, sweet vermouth, and a well-built simple syrup are all it takes; the garlic is a twist on a classic formula, not a substitute for one. It’s balanced. The syrup’s sweetness and mellow, cooked garlic flavor round out bourbon’s smoky edge the same way a standard simple syrup would, just with more personality. It’s a conversation starter. A garlic clove garnish and a vampire-themed backstory make this the drink your guests will ask about. And it’s local. Wigle Whiskey distills its whiskeys and bourbons right in Pittsburgh’s Strip District.

Ingredient Notes: Vampire Bourbon and Van Helsing

Wigle Whiskey’s Mothman Bourbon. Wigle Whiskey, founded in 2012 in Pittsburgh’s Strip District and named for Philip Wigle, a figure in the Whiskey Rebellion, releases a spooky-season bourbon each fall. For 2026, that’s Mothman Bourbon, inspired by Appalachia’s cryptid legend, bottled at 92 proof (46% ABV) with notes of toasted oak, deep red stone fruit, and warm spice.

Red corn and rye bourbons. If Mothman Bourbon isn’t available, look for another red corn bourbon or a high-rye bourbon. Both add spicy notes that echo the rye traditionally used in a classic Manhattan.

Van Helsing. Professor Abraham Van Helsing, the vampire hunter of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, is the archetype for the genre and has been public domain for well over a century, which is why he shows up in everything from Hammer horror films to this cocktail’s name.

How to Make Garlic Simple Syrup

The garlic simple syrup is what makes this cocktail work: cooked garlic loses its raw bite and turns mellow and faintly sweet, so it reads as a savory accent rather than an overpowering one. Quartering the cloves and simmering them in water before adding sugar helps release that flavor evenly, and letting the mixture macerate for 30 minutes afterward deepens it further. Strain well so no garlic bits end up in the finished syrup. Store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks so you can make this cocktail again without redoing the syrup from scratch.

Tips for Building the Cocktail

Stir, don’t shake. This is a spirit-forward drink, so stir the bourbon, vermouth, and garlic syrup with ice for about 30 seconds to chill and dilute it properly without clouding the drink.

Strain into a stemmed glass. A coupe or Nick and Nora glass shows off the cocktail’s color and keeps it cold longer than a rocks glass would.

Garnish with intention. A whole garlic clove alongside the glass (rather than dropped in) keeps the garnish’s aroma present without overwhelming the drink itself, and it’s the visual punchline of the whole cocktail.

Looking for more? Try our The Witch’s Brew and Van Helsing Takes Manhattan, see all the Halloween Cocktails Perfect for Spooky Season, and browse TABLE’s Cocktails.

Van Helsing Takes Manhattan

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• Author: Zack Durkin
• Total Time: 15 min
• Yield: 1 cocktail 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Bourbon and sweet vermouth stirred with garlic simple syrup and garnished with a garlic clove. A savory, balanced Halloween twist on the classic Manhattan.

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Ingredients

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For the cocktail:

• 2 oz Wigle Whiskey’s Mothman Bourbon*
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• .5 oz garlic simple syrup (recipe below)
• Garlic clove, to garnish

For the garlic simple syrup:

• 4–5 medium cloves of garlic
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

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Instructions

For the cocktail:

1. Pour all liquid ingredients into a mixing glass and add ice.
2. Stir for about 30 seconds.
3. Strain into your favorite stemmed glassware.
4. Garnish with a garlic clove.
5. Enjoy.

For the simple syrup:

1. Bring one cup of water to a boil.
2. Quarter the garlic cloves and add them to the boiling water.
3. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes.
5. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
6. Allow the garlic to macerate for 30 minutes.
7. Once cooled, pour the syrup through a mesh strainer into a storage container and store for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Notes

*Mothman Bourbon can be substituted for another red corn bourbon. High-rye bourbons work as well. Both red corn and rye add spicy notes to the bourbon, a profile that emulates the rye traditionally used in a Manhattan.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus time to make the garlic simple syrup
• Category: Cocktail, drink
• Method: Stirred
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cocktail
• Calories: 215

Van Helsing Takes Manhattan FAQs

What does garlic simple syrup taste like?

Cooked garlic loses its raw sharpness and turns mellow and faintly sweet, so the syrup reads as a savory accent rather than an overpowering one.

Can I use a different bourbon?

Yes. Any red corn bourbon works, and a high-rye bourbon is a good substitute too, since both add spicy notes that echo the rye traditionally used in a Manhattan.

Should this cocktail be shaken or stirred?

Stirred. This is a spirit-forward drink with no juice or cream, so stirring chills and dilutes it without clouding the finished cocktail.

How long does garlic simple syrup keep?

Once strained and cooled, store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Where does the name Van Helsing come from?

Professor Abraham Van Helsing is the vampire hunter from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, and the garlic garnish here is a nod to the classic vampire-repelling folklore his story helped popularize.

About the Recipe Author

Zack Durkin is an experienced bartender and cocktail recipe developer for TABLE Magazine, known for pop-culture-inspired drinks tied to movies, TV shows, and current events, including cocktails built around The Last of Us, Anora, Mean Girls, and Pantone’s Color of the Year. Read more of his work at TABLE.

About the Stylist

Anna Franklin is TABLE Magazine’s food stylist and recipe developer. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts, she spent many years cooking in restaurant kitchens and photo studios before moving into food styling. Anna tests, plates, and styles the recipes and restaurant features in TABLE’s print and digital editions, working alongside photographers Dave Bryce and Laura Petrilla. Read more of her work at TABLE.

About the Photographer

Dave Bryce is TABLE Magazine’s contributing architecture, interiors, and food photographer, based in Pittsburgh. He photographed Fallingwater: Living with and In Art (Rizzoli, 2025) and regularly shoots for Pittsburgh Magazine and American Farmhouse Style, working with architects, interior designers, and hospitality brands. See more at davebrycephotography.com.

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