Banana Boulevardier
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 22.8% ABV ∙
The Banana Boulevardier is a stirred, whiskey-forward twist on the Boulevardier, adding banana liqueur to bourbon, sweet vermouth, and a red bitter. Ripe banana rides over warm bourbon and bittersweet vermouth, with the red bitter's orange-peel snap keeping the finish dry rather than sugary.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Bourbon 30 mlRosso vermouth 30 mlRed bitter 15 mlBanana liqueur 15 ml
- Strain into the ice-filled glass (preferably over a large cube or chunk of block ice)
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and discard
- Garnish with dried banana chips
Tips
- Stir the four spirits with ice for about 20-25 seconds until the mixing glass feels ice-cold, since a Boulevardier build turns muddy or over-diluted if shaken or over-stirred.
- Use large, dense ice cubes for stirring to control dilution while still chilling the bourbon, vermouth, Campari and banana liqueur mix evenly.
- Strain over one large cube in the old-fashioned glass so the banana liqueur's sweetness stays balanced as the drink slowly opens up.
- Express the orange twist over the glass to release its oils and discard the peel, then add the dried banana chip last so it doesn't wilt in the liquid.
History
The Banana Boulevardier is a modern riff on the Boulevardier, a whiskey, Campari, and sweet vermouth cocktail first documented in Harry MacElhone's 1927 Paris bar guide Barflies and Cocktails, where it was credited to Erskine Gwynne, an American expatriate writer who had founded a Paris magazine of the same name. The banana variation is traced to Terry Williams, general manager of Anvil Bar & Refuge in Houston, who put a Banana Boulevardier on the menu in August 2015 after discovering, while trying to use up a near-empty bottle of banana liqueur, that it paired surprisingly well with Campari when poured in equal measure.
Three years later, Los Angeles bartender Austin Hennelly independently developed his own banana-Campari riff using a centrifuged banana-infused whiskey, while a Brooklyn bartender, Matt Levy, coined the punchier name "Bananavardier" for his own version after reading about Williams' drink. The Anvil original keeps the Boulevardier's whiskey, Campari, and sweet vermouth base but adds banana liqueur, lending the classic a fruitier, richer edge.
FAQ
What is in a Banana Boulevardier?
Bourbon, sweet (rosso) vermouth, a red bitter such as Campari, and banana liqueur, stirred over ice and garnished with an orange twist and a dried banana chip. It is a whiskey-forward drink with the banana liqueur layered in for fruit-forward sweetness.
Is a Banana Boulevardier shaken or stirred?
Stirred. All four ingredients are spirits or liqueurs with no juice or citrus to aerate, so stirring chills and dilutes the drink while keeping it clear and silky.
What's the best bourbon for a Banana Boulevardier?
A standard-proof, slightly sweet bourbon works best, since it needs to stand up to the vermouth and red bitter without clashing with the banana liqueur. A higher-rye bourbon adds spice that cuts through the sweetness, while a wheated bourbon leans softer and rounder alongside the banana note.
