Harvard

Recipe: Harvard (serves one)

• 1 1/2 oz. cognac
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes (= 1/4 teaspoon) Angostura bitters
• 1 oz. club soda
• orange twist

Stir cognac, vermouth, and bitters in a shaker with ice. Strain into cocktail glass. Top with club soda. Garnish with orange twist.

This crimson cocktail is essentially a cognac Manhattan with club soda. The club soda is an unusual addition to a Manhattan-style drink, but it moderates the sweetness of the cognac and vermouth. The recipe we followed is from Esquire.com.

We decided to make this cocktail in honor of the “Master of Mixology” certificate I got during grad school. It was a nice change from regular classes, even though we only got to practice mixing drinks with colored water. Ironically, I don’t think we learned how to make the Harvard cocktail.