Boulevardier
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 26.6% ABV ∙
The Boulevardier is a spirit-forward stirred cocktail of bourbon, sweet vermouth, and a red bitter such as Campari, served over ice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Bourbon 45 mlRosso vermouth 20 mlRed bitter 20 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 use as garnish
Tips
- Stir with large cubes for 20-30 seconds until the mixing glass feels ice-cold.
- It's 45 ml of bourbon against 20 ml each of vermouth and Campari, so measure the bourbon carefully; pour it short and the other two drown out the whiskey.
History
The Boulevardier first appeared in print in Barflies and Cocktails, a 1927 Paris cocktail book compiled by Harry MacElhone of Harry's New York Bar. The drink is not in the book's main recipe list but turns up in an essay titled "Cocktails About Town" by Arthur Moss, which credits the cocktail to Erskine Gwynne. Gwynne was an American-born writer and Vanderbilt family relation who had moved to Paris and founded a monthly magazine called Boulevardier, published from 1927 to 1932. The original recipe was equal parts bourbon, Campari, and Italian vermouth.
After this 1927 mention, the drink went unrecorded in cocktail literature for about 80 years, resurfacing during the craft cocktail revival of the late 2000s, when it was often served in heavier-whiskey proportions, and it became an official IBA cocktail in 2020. Because it shares two of its three ingredients with the Negroni, differing mainly by using whiskey instead of gin, it is commonly described as a whiskey-based cousin of that drink. Sources note, though, that the Boulevardier's 1927 print appearance predates the Negroni's own documented debut by roughly two decades.
FAQ
What is in a Boulevardier cocktail?
45 ml bourbon, 20 ml sweet (rosso) vermouth, and 20 ml red bitter such as Campari. The bourbon leads, with equal, smaller measures of the other two.
What is the best ratio for a Boulevardier?
Start with 45 ml bourbon to 20 ml each of sweet vermouth and red bitter, as here. There is no single fixed ratio: the 1927 original was equal parts, and the late-2000s revival often poured more whiskey. Adjust to taste: more bitter for a drier drink, more vermouth for a softer one.
What is the difference between a Negroni and a Boulevardier?
The base spirit. A Negroni is equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and a red bitter. A Boulevardier uses bourbon instead, and here more of it than the other two, so it is warmer and richer than the crisp, herbal Negroni.
What's the difference between a Boulevardier and a Manhattan?
The bitter. A Manhattan is bourbon or rye and sweet vermouth with aromatic bitters. A Boulevardier uses a red bitter such as Campari instead, which gives it a bittersweet, orange-tinged edge the Manhattan does not have.
What's the difference between an Old Fashioned and a Boulevardier?
The vermouth and the red bitter. An Old Fashioned is just bourbon, sugar, and aromatic bitters over ice. A Boulevardier uses sweet vermouth and a red bitter in place of the sugar, so it tastes more complex and less purely of whiskey.
Is a Boulevardier shaken or stirred?
Stirred. With no juice in it, stirring chills and dilutes it gently and keeps it clear. Shaking would cloud it with air bubbles.
