60 ml Bourbon, 20 ml Lemon juice, 20 ml Honey syrup, 1 Lemon twist
Photo: Boulevardier in Baton Rouge by Paul Lowry · CC BY 4.0 · All credits
Ingredients
- 45 ml Jigger One small side (25 ml) of a standard jigger, plus a tablespoon and a teaspoon. Bourbon - Rye makes a spicier, leaner version
- 30 ml Jigger One small side (25 ml) of a standard jigger, plus a teaspoon. Campari
- 30 ml Jigger One small side (25 ml) of a standard jigger, plus a teaspoon. Sweet vermouth
- 1 twist Orange twist (optional)
Measured in Millilitres (UK). Sign in to read these in American measures. Print a kitchen card at this size.
What the jigger, the spoons and the jug hold, in millilitres and in fluid ounces, is on the measures reference.
Quick version
- Stir the three over ice and strain over one large cube.
Method
- Fill a mixing glass with ice, then pour in the bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth.
- Stir for 30 seconds until it is properly cold.
- Strain over one large cube in a rocks glass.
- Express an orange peel over the top and drop it in.
Serve it
Boulevardier
Erskine Gwynne was an American writer living in Paris who published a magazine called The Boulevardier, and in the late 1920s he gave his name to the drink he liked to order. It is a Negroni with whiskey where the gin was, which sounds like a small change and is in fact a completely different drink - deeper, sweeter, and much better suited to a cold evening.
Getting it right
The classic mistake is to keep the Negroni's equal parts, and the result is a drink with too much vermouth and a whiskey that has gone missing. Whiskey needs a heavier hand, so pour the spirit generously and let the Campari and vermouth follow behind. If you are using bourbon, look for something with a bit of proof to it; the drink can take it.
Tasting notes
Bitter orange and caramel, warm oak underneath, and a long finish that begins sweet and ends dry. It is a slow drink, and a good one for a long conversation.
More Bourbon cocktails
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60 ml Bourbon, 10 ml Simple syrup, 4 dashes Angostura bitters, 1 Orange slice