A brandy cousin of the Manhattan, this pairs equal measures of cognac-style brandy and sweet vermouth with a whisper of syrup and a brisk hit of Angostura, rich and herbal up front. A splash of seltzer loosens what would otherwise be a dense stirred drink, softening and brightening it so the finish lifts into something almost refreshing.
Stirred · Coupe · Up
add
Combine the brandy, sweet vermouth, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters in a mixing glass with ice.
stir
Stir until well chilled.
strain
Strain into a chilled coupe.
top
Top with a splash of soda water and serve promptly.
No inventor is on record for the Harvard: its earliest known appearance is in George Kappeler's Modern American Drinks of 1895, which gives the recipe without crediting anyone. Six years later The Cocktail Book: A Sideboard Manual for Gentlemen printed essentially the same drink, with Boker's bitters standing in for Angostura. It belongs to a cluster of 1890s cocktails named for universities, alongside the Yale and the Princeton, and by 1934 What Shall We Drink could offer only a hazy tale that it began on the Harvard campus before Prohibition.