Fourth Regiment

 

Story

This drink is just a 50:50 Manhattan plus orange and celery bitters, but that small change makes all the difference.  In contrast with drinks like the Norwegian Wood, which present a fully combined flavor at the first sip, the Fourth Regiment unfolds gradually.  The initial citrus perfume gives way to the familiar bite of the Manhattan, but at the tail end the celery bitters clearly emerge.  The contrast is a delight.  The Fourth Regiment first appeared in an 1889 book called 282 Mixed Drinks from the Private Records of a Bartender of the Olden Days.  It subsequently appeared in other, better-known sources in 1914 and 1939.  Nobody knows where it got its name, but the recipe hasn’t changed much in over 130 years.

Recipe
1.5 oz rye (Rittenhouse)
1.5 oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica)
2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
2 dashes orange bitters
2 dashes celery bitters
-stir in a mixing glass with ice to chill
-strain into a chilled coup or Nick & Nora glass.  Garnish with lemon twist.