Harvard Club

This is a riff on the Harvard cocktail, which is basically a Manhattan with brandy in place of rye. But I didn't like the ratios with the port, so I turned it into a kind of Improved Cocktail (my favorite variation on the Old-Fashioned), with a base of Cognac plus small measures of cacao, ruby port, and Alpine amaro. A splash of Champagne makes it feel quite fancy and dries out the cocktail a bit.

INGREDIENTS

1½ oz. brandy
¼ oz. crème de cacao
¼ oz. ruby port
¼ oz. Alpine amaro
5 drops saline
Champagne or dry sparkling wine, to top

Garnish: flamed orange twist

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ABV LEVEL

Stir, strain over a big cube in a rocks glass. Top with a splash of Champagne. Garnish with a flamed orange twist.