Dazed and confused? Not me. I’m just Lost in the Cheese Aisle.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

A COCKTAIL FOR THE MAN ABOUT TOWN

Boulevardier
Boulevardier cocktail, presented in a vintage etched-glass coupe.

The fine fellow you see pictured above is a Boulevardier.

I first learned of his existence some months back, in an evening out with Houston Steve and our respective brides.  I had two... and that would have been enough all by themselves.  (Alas, we followed those up with a few Provençal Martinis after we arrived at our house.  Splendid days.)

If you combine gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth in a cocktail glass, you get a Negroni.  Swap out the gin for bourbon, and you have a Boulevardier: literally, a “man about town.”  What better tipple for Mister Debonair?

Boulevardier

1½ ounces bourbon
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth

Combine with ice in a shaker; stir well and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a cherry.

When I made my Boulevardier, I used Knob Creek single barrel reserve bourbon, a ferociously potent base.  For the vermouth, I selected Carpano Antica Formula, made with a recipe that dates back to the eighteenth century.  And Campari is, of course, in a category by itself: With a squirt of soda water and a squeeze of lime, it’s SWMBO’s favorite apĂ©ritif.

It is, indeed, a perfect cocktail for the Man about Town.  And that’s no Boulshit.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

.... so why during our recent visit were we drinking Scotch and water and not these beauties?...

Elisson said...

Good question. Next time, we'll make a concerted effort to broaden your Drinky Horizons.

BobG said...

Sounds good, especially since I'm not a big fan of gin.