Beautiful Red Bell Cocktail
This refreshing summer cocktail is made with gin, red bell pepper, basil and lime. It's an unexpected and delightful combination!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on June 29, 2025
The Beautiful Red Bell is a red bell pepper and gin cocktail made at Manifesto, a modern-day speakeasy in Kansas City, Missouri. Unfortunately, the beloved bar has since closed down, but this recipe lives on.
If you enjoy garden-fresh flavors and gin cocktails, such as the Gimlet or Bee’s Knees, you’ll love this drink recipe. The muddled bell peppers and basil temper the pine taste of gin with some help from fresh lime juice and simple syrup. It’s strong but not overpowering, naturally slightly sweet, and refreshingly light.
I first experienced this lovely drink when I was in town visiting friends in 2011. My friend Jordan talked up Manifesto and her favorite cocktail, The Beautiful Red Bell, over the weekend. Curiosity took over, and I convinced the couple that we should cap off our already fantastic weekend with fancy cocktails.
We texted the owner for a reservation and entered through an unmarked door in a back alley. A dapper bartender walked us downstairs into a candlelit saloon. Jordan ordered her favorite, and her husband and I requested unusual whiskey-based drinks.
Since I detest gin and tonics, I was a little wary when Jordan handed me her gin-based drink to try, but I fell in love at first sip. The former bartender in me vowed to recreate the eleven-dollar drink at home.
As delightful as The Red Bell was in that cozy basement in February, I thought it would be more appropriate for summertime, when basil and bell peppers are in season. Finally, the time has come, and it was worth the wait.
While I’m not entirely sure this is exactly the same formula used at Manifesto, I can tell you it’s very close. Please try it and let me know how it turns out in the comments!
Beautiful Red Bell Cocktail
This refreshing summer cocktail is made with red bell pepper, basil, gin and lime. This recipe was inspired by Manifesto in Kansas City, MO.
Ingredients
Per cocktail
- ⅓ of a medium red bell pepper, sliced into two-inch long strips
- 5 to 6 fresh basil leaves
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1 ½ ounces gin
- ½ to 1 teaspoons agave nectar or simple syrup
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine red pepper, basil and lime juice. Muddle until the red pepper is thoroughly smashed (it shouldn’t have any crunch left).
- Add the gin, agave nectar and lots of ice. Put on the lid and shake like crazy.
- Strain and pour into a chilled martini glass. Enjoy.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
mm! i think you should definitely do a weekly cocktail series…i’ll file them away to try after the bebe is born :-)
Oh man. I’m no big fan of gin myself, but I do LOVE bell peppers. Going to have to try this one soon!
You’ll like it, I think! I really don’t taste the gin. I’ll try it with vodka and let you know how it tastes. Oh, the things I do for you. ;)
Oh I know. It’s so hard.
Update! I tried making it with vodka. It was good. Not as good as gin, though. Try it!
P.s. I’ve got a couple of cucumber recipes up my sleeve for you!
That looks delightful! I am not too much into gin but i love red bell peppers. I love the colour, it’s just sooo pretty :)
Kate –
Great blog! I have ventured into Manifesto and it is such a hip little hideaway!!!
This is a great (and easy) recipe. As a craft mixologist, may I add a few subtle suggestions to this process…just a few ideas to accentuate this cocktail experience.
1. Always tear the Basil before muddling to help secrete the oil of the basil leaves.
2. Unless you are using the bell pepper as garnish (always dress your drink), cube it to also help secrete the juices of the bell pepper.
Kate, I am a Hendricks gin man myself (so wonderfully smooth), but I would bet that Tanqueray Rangpur (which is lime infused) would work really well with this cocktail.
Anyway, enjoy your cocktail! If you need a great recipe for a cucumber-basil martini, just let me know. It is incredibly refreshing!
Happy Holidays,
Vince Martini
Thank you for our very helpful tips and thoughtful comments, Vince! I really enjoy muddling fresh herbs in cocktails so your tips are much appreciated. I would love to try out your cucumber basil martini next summer!
Kate-had the same experience at Manifesto this May and was blown away by this drink. Per their menu now, it states they use mint rather than basil. Have you tried making this with mint at all? Also, I think I remember the bell pepper being roasted to some degree…Think I have to try this both ways now!
Mint sounds interesting! I’m growing some on my porch now, I’ll have to give it a try. I think I tried it once with jarred roasted red peppers and preferred it with raw, but I’m sure freshly roasted would be a different story.
Every time we make this cocktail it is a hit. It tastes like spring. I once accidentally used rum and it was still great.
Jake, glad to hear it! I’m intrigued by the rum idea.
Hi!
A friend of mine referred me to this blog when I was telling him about having the Beautiful Red Bell made Ryan Mabee (I think that’s how he spells his name) before he opened Manifesto. He was a sort of visiting bartender at the American and he made me one of these on one of the hottest days of that year in Kansas City. I loved it so much I (nicely) demanded the recipe, which he generously shared. Yours is really close and congratulations for figuring it out.
Here it is as he gave it to me. I can’t wait to do a side-by-side with yours this summer.
2 oz gin (the recipe calls for Hendrick’s, which is my favorite gin and which I use)
1 oz simple syrup
3/4 oz FRESH lime juice
2 thin slices red bell pepper
2 mint leaves
In a mixing glass, muddle the red bell pepper in the simple syrup and the lime juice. Add mint, gin and ice. Shake vigorously (mine was so well-shaken that there were bits of mint floating in the glass. I wonder if he might have also muddled the mint, in fact, but that’s not what he wrote down.). Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a slice of red bell pepper.
Thanks, Gavin! I am giving myself a little pat on the back for getting so close to Ryan’s original recipe. :) Can’t wait to have another this summer!
I’ve been to manifesto a couple of times and looooove this drink! I went there last night and my bartender friend commented that this drink is almost impossible to replicate. I just googled it and your recipe came up! Totally going to try it. I love this drink a little too much I think. :)
Well, I think my version is pretty close! Just went to Manifesto the other day!
just made this… omg! so good! so refreshing and summery :)
Several years ago, I discovered this blog while searching for a nice summer cocktail. I bookmarked this recipe but never made the drinks until now. Turned out great! I followed the tips given by Vince Martini as well. It was easy and very refreshing. I used Gray Whale gin (I’m in California). The list of ingredients mention agave nectar or simple syrup but the instructions omit it. I used simple syrup.
I made this cocktail yesterday and it was delicious! The peppers and basil played nicely with the Forager gin I used. It was a pretty blush color too. I tagged you on my Instagram page #artistwithacocktail. Thanks for the inspiration and great recipe.
Where do you use the agave/simple syrup?