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Boulevardier

ClassicStirred5 Min Yield: 1 Cocktail
Boulevardier

Take the Negroni and hand it a bourbon. The Boulevardier keeps the beautiful bitterness and trades the gin edge for warmth and roundness. It is autumn in a glass, and it loves a big cube.

Recipe Card

Ingredients

  • 1.5oz (45ml) bourbon
  • 1oz (30ml) Campari
  • 1oz (30ml) sweet vermouth
  • Orange peel, for garnish
  • 1 large clear ice cube
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Method

  1. Add bourbon, Campari, and sweet vermouth to a mixing glass with ice.
  2. Stir for 25 to 30 seconds until well chilled.
  3. Strain into a rocks glass over one large clear ice cube.
  4. Express the orange peel over the drink and drop it in.

Tip: A bourbon with some proof stands up to Campari. Bottles around 100 proof keep the whiskey present from first sip to last.

Variations

  • Old Pal. Use rye whiskey and dry vermouth instead of bourbon and sweet vermouth. Drier, leaner, and sharper at the edges.
  • Bourbon forward Boulevardier. Push the bourbon to two ounces and keep the rest the same when you want the whiskey firmly in charge.

Questions

How is a Boulevardier different from a Negroni?

One ingredient. Bourbon stands where gin stood, and the drink turns warmer, rounder, and a little softer while the Campari bitterness stays put.

Which bourbon should I use?

A wheated bourbon softens the drink, a high rye bourbon sharpens it. Either direction is good, so pour the bottle that is already open.