As a baseline, here’s the AI-generated image from two years ago, created with DALL-E 3.

The original DALL-E 3 photo looks kind of crazy when you look back. I would never garnish a drink with a grapefruit wedge; it would have been a peel.

To remind you of the cocktail recipe for The Merry Manhattan:

Print

The Merry Manhattan

Recipe by Hans Scharler

Prep time

5

minutes

The Merry Manhattan is a festive twist on the classic Manhattan cocktail, perfect for holiday celebrations. This elegant drink features a rich amber hue, achieved by blending rye whiskey with sweet vermouth. The traditional flavor is enhanced with a unique addition of smoked cherries, adding a subtle, smoky sweetness. A sprig of rosemary infuses the cocktail with a fragrant, herbaceous aroma, invoking the essence of winter. The drink is served in a rocks glass containing a large ice chunk. The finishing touch is a gracefully twisted grapefruit peel, adding a citrusy zing and completing the cocktail’s holiday charm.

Ingredients

• 1 oz Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth

• 2 oz Whistle Pig Rye Whiskey

• 2 dashes Sour Cherry Bitters

• 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

• Fresh cherries (for smoking)

• Fresh rosemary (for smoking)

• Grapefruit peel (for garnish)

• Ice

Directions

• Prepare the Smoke:
  Gather a few fresh cherries and a sprig of rosemary.
  Using a kitchen torch, gently torch the rosemary and cherries until they start to smoke. Be careful not to burn them.
  Immediately cover the smoking rosemary and cherries with a rocks glass to trap the smoke inside. Let it sit for a minute to infuse the glass with the smoky aroma.
• In a mixing glass, combine 1 oz of Vermouth and 2 oz of Rye Whiskey.
• Add two dashes each of Sour Cherry Bitters and Peychaud’s Bitters.
• Fill the mixing glass with ice and stir well to chill and dilute the cocktail.
• Add an ice chunk to the smoked rocks glass.
• Strain the stirred cocktail into the smoked rocks glass.
• Finish and Garnish:
  Take a grapefruit peel and express (squeeze) its oils over the drink.
  Use the grapefruit peel as a garnish.
  Use one of the smoked cherries as a garnish.
  Use the sprig of rosemary as a garnish.

Notes

• Enjoy the smoked cherries as a treat, or save them for a future cocktail garnish.

Here’s the first try with Nano Banna Pro. I gave it the recipe card along with the prompt to create a realistic photo for a Christmas or New Year’s party setting.

I am still not in love with the photos. They are better for sure. Let me try a new approach. I am going to just send a link to the blog post and ask for the photos again.

This time it was much better. I like that it used a fancy cocktail cherry, like a Luxardo cherry, instead of one with a stem.

I found this an interesting way to visualize how a drink can come together. I like inventing my own cocktails for parties. This gives me a way to experiment with the visual presentation.

Now, Nano Banana Pro has way more capability than DALL-E 3 had, so I can do more things. I can make process diagrams for the recipe card. Let’s try that.

Now, we are talking.

A few takeaways:

• Models are improving rapidly.
• You can do something new with Generative AI models.
• And, the power of AND. I started with a photo, then pivoted to a recipe card diagram. I could keep anding. I could make it a YouTube video script. I could make it a series of cocktails. This is the most critical takeaway for 2026. It is not just about doing one thing more efficiently; it is about doing more things than you could before.

Buckle up. You might need a drink in 2026.

I will share my experience generating art with AI. I am not an artist, but I have ideas and access to a web browser that has access to power Generative AI tech. There are many platforms to experience, but I recommend that you pick one, try out prompts, iterate, and share. I picked Stable Diffusion.

Stable Diffusion is an advanced generative model for creating images, inspired by the diffusion process in physics. When given a text prompt, the model generates an image based on the content and themes described in the prompt.

M. C. Loves Robots

I love the artstyle of M. C. Escher. With Generative AI, I can now get an idea of what Escher would create if he was obsessed with robots.

Let’s unpack the prompt used to generate this image

The prompt “M. C. Escher lithograph, robots, gears, lights, wires” consists of several components that give the model an idea of what elements to include in the generated image.

1. “M. C. Escher lithograph” – This part of the prompt instructs the model to generate an image inspired by the artistic style of M.C. Escher, a Dutch graphic artist known for his mathematically inspired works that feature impossible objects, optical illusions, and intricate patterns.
2. “robots” – This keyword tells the model to include robots as one of the central subjects in the image. The robots may be designed in a way that reflects Escher’s style or is inspired by his works.
3. “gears” – The model should incorporate gears into the image, possibly as part of the robots’ mechanisms or as a separate visual element.
4. “lights” – This term suggests that the image should have a focus on lighting, either by using the lights as a part of the composition or emphasizing the way they interact with the other elements in the scene.
5. “wires” – The presence of wires indicates that the generated image should have a somewhat intricate or complex appearance, with wires possibly connecting various elements or being part of the robots.

When the Stable Diffusion model receives this prompt, it will generate an image that combines these elements. The resulting artwork might be an intricate scene of robots, gears, and wires, all rendered in the distinctive style of M.C. Escher, with a focus on the interplay of light and shadow. The specific details of the generated image will depend on the model’s interpretation of the prompt and its internal knowledge of the various elements mentioned.

Each word in a Generative AI prompt matters. You can get wild variations by changing out the words and experimenting.

Stable Diffusion Prompt Engineering Tips

Stable Diffusion is a groundbreaking generative AI art model that enables the creation of stunning and unique artwork. By providing the model with a carefully designed prompt, you can guide its creative process to generate art that aligns with your vision.

Be Specific and Clear

When writing prompts for Stable Diffusion, it’s crucial to be specific and clear in your description. This ensures that the model can accurately interpret your intentions and generate artwork that matches your vision. For example, instead of writing “a landscape,” provide more detail such as “a serene sunset landscape with a calm lake and a silhouette of a tree.”

Incorporate Emotions and Atmosphere

To create truly captivating art, consider incorporating emotions and atmosphere into your prompts. This can help the model generate art that evokes a certain mood or feeling. For instance, instead of writing “a cityscape,” try “a bustling cityscape with a lively atmosphere, filled with people enjoying their day.”

Experiment with Different Styles

Stable Diffusion is capable of producing artwork in various styles, from abstract to photorealistic. When crafting your prompt, consider specifying a particular artistic style or movement to inspire the model. For example, you could write “a vibrant, impressionistic painting of a Parisian street café.”

Combine Unusual Elements

One of the most exciting aspects of generative AI art is its ability to combine seemingly unrelated elements to create unique and thought-provoking pieces. To harness this potential, try writing prompts that incorporate contrasting or unexpected components. For example, “a surreal scene of a whale floating above a city skyline with hot air balloons in the background.”

Iterative Refinement

Don’t be afraid to iterate and refine your prompts. If the generated artwork isn’t quite what you envisioned, try adjusting the wording or adding more details to your prompt. It’s essential to experiment and adapt your prompts to hone your skills in guiding the model’s creativity.

Stable Diffusion offers an exciting avenue for artistic expression, and writing effective prompts is key to unlocking its full potential. By being specific, incorporating emotions, experimenting with styles, combining unusual elements, and refining your prompts, you can guide the model to generate visually stunning and emotionally evocative artwork. So go ahead, unleash your creativity, and let Stable Diffusion bring your artistic visions to life!

Use ChatGPT if you get stuck

A neat thing that you can do is use ChatGPT if you get stuck. Use AI to write AI prompts. Ask ChatGPT to give you ideas for prompts for an artist that you like. I always loved President Obama’s presidential painting by Kehinde Wiley. A robot is likely to be our future president and Kehinde will be tapped once again to paint the portrait. I used ChatGPT to help me generate ideas for this painting.

Enjoy the journey

We are going through some weird times. Enjoy the journey. Try out prompts and share the results on our Discord server. I would love to see what you come up with.