The Boulevardier

Few drinks sound as sophisticated as The Boulevardier. It’s the kind of drink that you can feel good about ordering at a craft cocktail bar because it has an elegant name – but fortnately, it’s also the kind of drink that you’re actually going to want to drink. The Boulevardier is a drink that was invented at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris during prohibition. It’s a bar that was famous for all the American ex-pats that it attracted, as well as for the drinks that bartender Harry MacElhone is credited with creating, like the Bloody Mary, the French 75, and the Side Car.

The Boulevardier is a Negroni that is made with whiskey instead of gin – though the Boulevardier recipe was printed in Harry’s 1927 bar guide, Barflies and Cocktails, long before the Negroni recipe saw print. The smokey vanilla notes of the bourbon or rye in the base spirit blend very well with the orange of the Campari. Sweet Vermouth is just sweet enough to temper the bitter edge of the Campari and make this drink very well-balanced. Don’t skip the orange twist on this drink, since it further highlights the Campari and gives the cocktail a wonderful aroma as you take that first sip.

Glassware: Coupe / Rocks
Method: Stir

Ingredients
1 1/2 oz. Bourbon or Rye
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. Sweet Vermouth

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe or into an old fashioned glass over ice. Garnish with an orange twist.