Boozy & Stirred: Cognac Edition

Photo by Arlene Ibarra

The Harvard Cocktail is a classic cocktail that is far too often overlooked within the canon of classic beverage. It is essentially a Manhattan, with cognac in the place of the American whiskey. Although, it first appeared in George J. Kappeler’s 1895 Modern American Drinks at equal parts brandy to sweet vermouth, along with a few dashes of Angostura bitters before being topped with a bit of club soda, the drink has since evolved into a much more austere and elegant mixture of 2 parts cognac to 1 part sweet vermouth, which allows the spirit to shine a bit more. This drink here took its inspiration from this classic formula albeit with a change from vermouth to Madeira and absinthe in the place of bitters. To really bring out the nutty qualities found in the cognac XO, I even added a bit of walnut liqueur for additional depth.

WALNUT GROVE
2oz XO cognac
.75oz Madeira
.25oz Nocino Walnut Liqueur*
3 dashes Absinthe

METHOD: Stir
GLASSWARE: Nick & Nora
GARNISH: Lemon Twist