Rye Boulevardier
A bitter and dry whiskey cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 27.4% ABV ∙
The Rye Boulevardier stirs rye whiskey with a red bitter such as Campari and sweet vermouth, served over ice with an orange twist.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Rye whiskey 45 mlRed bitter 25 mlRosso vermouth 25 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
- Rye is spicier and drier than bourbon; if you're used to the softer bourbon version, taste as you stir.
History
The Rye Boulevardier has no single documented inventor; it is the widely used rye whiskey variant of the Boulevardier that spread in the 2010s, after bartenders rediscovered the cocktail in the late 2000s. Contemporary accounts of the drink's comeback note that many bartenders began favoring rye over the original bourbon. In a 2020 blind tasting of recipes from bartenders across the United States, all three top-ranked entries used rye whiskey rather than bourbon.
The Boulevardier itself first appeared in print in Harry MacElhone's 1927 Paris bar guide, Barflies and Cocktails, which credited the drink to Erskine Gwynne, an American-born writer and socialite who edited a Paris magazine called Boulevardier. The Rye Boulevardier keeps the drink's Negroni-style trio of whiskey, red bitter, and sweet vermouth but swaps in rye for bourbon and pours more whiskey than bitter or vermouth (45 ml to 25 ml each), giving it a spicier, drier edge.
FAQ
What is a Boulevardier cocktail?
A stirred cocktail of whiskey, a red bitter such as Campari, and sweet vermouth: essentially a Negroni with whiskey in place of gin. This recipe uses rye and serves it over ice with an orange twist.
Can you make a Boulevardier with rye?
Yes, and this recipe does. Rye makes a spicier, drier drink than bourbon and cuts through the sweet vermouth more sharply.
Is a Boulevardier better with bourbon or rye?
Neither is objectively better; it comes down to taste. Bourbon makes a softer, sweeter Boulevardier. Rye, used here, brings peppery spice and a drier finish that holds its own against the Campari and vermouth.
What is the ratio for a Boulevardier?
About 2:1:1 here: 45 ml rye to 25 ml each of red bitter and sweet vermouth. That is more whiskey-heavy than the equal-parts version some bartenders use.
What's the difference between an Old Fashioned and a Boulevardier?
An Old Fashioned is whiskey, sugar and bitters, with no vermouth or Campari. A Boulevardier uses a red bitter such as Campari and sweet vermouth in place of the sugar, so it tastes bittersweet and herbal in a way the Old Fashioned doesn't.
