Boulevardier
A Negroni made with bourbon in place of gin. Bitter, warming and a touch sweeter.
- Time
- 4 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Rocks glass
- Strength
- 2.6 UK units
How to make a Boulevardier
- Build over ice. Add the bourbon, Campari and vermouth to a mixing glass and fill it with ice.
- Stir until cold. Stir for about 30 seconds, until the outside of the glass is frosted and the drink looks glossy.
- Strain onto fresh ice. Strain over one large ice cube in a rocks glass. Fresh ice melts slower than the ice you stirred with.
- Finish with orange. Squeeze a wide strip of orange peel over the drink, skin side down, so the oils spray across the top, then drop it in.
- Glass
- Rocks glassNo rocks glass? Any short, heavy tumbler.
- Ice
- One large cube
- Garnish
- Orange twistOr: A cocktail cherry.
What you need to make a Boulevardier
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Mixing glassAny sturdy jug or pint glass works.
Bar spoonA long teaspoon does the job.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
Vegetable peelerFor wide strips of peel with little pith.
Bottles we'd use
- A bold bourbonBuffalo Trace is a reliable all-rounder. Woodford Reserve is rounder.Find it on Amazon
- CampariNo substitute. The drink is built on its bitterness.Find it on Amazon
- A good sweet vermouthCocchi Vermouth di Torino is rich and spiced; Martini Rosso is lighter.Find it on Amazon
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Boulevardier variations and swaps
Swap the bourbon for 40 ml of rye and the sweet vermouth for 25 ml of dry vermouth and you have an Old Pal. It is drier, sharper and more peppery. For a more bitter, Negroni-like drink, use equal parts: 30 ml each of bourbon, red bitter liqueur and sweet vermouth. To batch it for eight, mix 320 ml of bourbon, 200 ml of red bitter liqueur, 200 ml of sweet vermouth and 160 ml of water. Chill it in the fridge, then pour 110 ml over a large cube for each person. The water stands in for the dilution you would get from stirring.
The Boulevardier story
The name comes from a Paris magazine, The Boulevardier, edited by the American writer Erskine Gwynne. The drink appears in Harry MacElhone's 1927 book Barflies and Cocktails, and it is usually credited to Harry's New York Bar in Paris.
It is a Negroni in structure, but bourbon adds vanilla and oak where gin adds juniper. A bit more whiskey than the other two keeps the Campari in check. Rye gives a drier, spicier version if you prefer it.
Boulevardier: your questions answered
What is in a Boulevardier?
A Boulevardier is made with 40 ml bourbon, 25 ml Campari and 25 ml sweet vermouth. Garnish: orange twist.
Is a Boulevardier shaken or stirred?
A Boulevardier is stirred, not shaken. Stirring with ice chills and dilutes it while keeping the drink clear and smooth. Shaking would cloud it and add tiny air bubbles, which suits citrus drinks but not this one.
How strong is a Boulevardier?
Made to this recipe, a Boulevardier contains about 2.6 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a Boulevardier in?
Serve a Boulevardier in a rocks glass over ice. No rocks glass? Any short, heavy tumbler.
