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Cocktail History
The Boulevardier is a classic cocktail that was created by Erskine Gwynne, a magazine editor who lived in Paris, France in the 1920s and often drank at famous bartender Harry MacElhone’s New York Bar. The recipe is considered a cross between the Negroni and Manhattan because it’s made with equal-parts vermouth and Campari with whiskey as the base spirit, and it gained popularity when Harry eventually published the specs in his book Barflies & Cocktails.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Bourbon: This is a type of whiskey made in the United States with at least 51% corn, grains, malted barley, and water. We used Buffalo Trace Distillery Benchmark Bourbon because it has a delicious whiskey spice with notes of caramel, stone fruit, tobacco, oak, and cherries. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey in place of the whiskey.
Sweet Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. We used Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth because it’s a high quality vermouth with dark notes of herbs, figs, licorice, cinnamon, and cocoa. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Rosso in place of the sweet vermouth.
Campari: This is a liqueur made in Italy with gentian root, rhubarb, citrus, herbs, aromatic plants, fruit, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Giffard Non-Alcoholic Bitter Syrup in place of the bitter liqueur.
Orange Peel: This the peel of an orange that is cut into a strip.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. We used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. We used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.
Ice Mold: This is used to make a clear ice cube. We used the BERLINZO Premium Clear Ice Cube Maker Mold.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
Tasting Notes
The Boulevardier features orange and sweet Campari aromas, an initially sweet taste from the bourbon and vermouth, and a touch of vanilla from the Carpano Antica before the familiar bitterness of Campari takes center stage when swallowed, with just the slightest burn of bourbon accenting it.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: In Alex’s opinion, this is a great drink, one of his oldest favorites, in fact. He typically takes his with some form of coffee flavor; a recipe for that will follow in the future perhaps? In the meantime, Kendall will keep trying to force herself to like something with Campari in it because this one was still too bitter for her.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.
Add bourbon, sweet vermouth, Campari, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a lowball glass over a clear ice cube.
Garnish with orange peel.
Ingredients
Directions
Add bourbon, sweet vermouth, Campari, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a lowball glass over a clear ice cube.
Garnish with orange peel.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey in place of the whiskey, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Rosso in place of the sweet vermouth, and Giffard Non-Alcoholic Bitter Syrup in place of the bitter liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Bourbon Cocktails
If you like this bourbon-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Stone Fence: A bourbon cocktail made with apple cider, Angostura Aromatic bitters, and mint
Weathered Axe: A bourbon cocktail made with lemon juice, Combier L’Original Liqueur d’Orange, Cocchi Americano, ginger syrup, absinthe, and rosemary
Boo Radley: A bourbon cocktail made with Cynar, cherry liqueur, a lemon peel, and an orange peel
Mountain Man: A bourbon cocktail made with lemon juice, peach liqueur, ginger syrup, maple syrup, and candied ginger
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