Boulevardier Cocktail: Bourbon, Sweet Vermouth and Campari Classic for Autumn Evenings

Chill a rocks glass by filling it with ice and water while you build the drink, or keep it in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces bourbon (or rye whiskey for a spicier drink)
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth
• 1 ounce Campari
• 1 dash orange bitters (optional)
• 1 large clear ice cube or ice sphere
• 1 wide strip of orange peel
• 1 brandied cherry, for garnish (optional)
• Ice, for stirring

Instructions

1. Chill a rocks glass by filling it with ice and water while you build the drink, or keep it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
2. Fill a mixing glass two-thirds full with ice. Add the bourbon, sweet vermouth, Campari and the dash of orange bitters if using.
3. Stir with a bar spoon for 25 to 30 seconds until the outside of the mixing glass frosts. Stirring, not shaking, keeps the drink silky and clear.
4. Empty the rocks glass and drop in the large ice cube. Strain the cocktail over the ice.
5. Hold the orange peel skin-side down over the glass and squeeze to spray its oils across the surface, then run the peel around the rim and drop it in.
6. Add a brandied cherry if you like, and serve immediately while the drink is cold and bright.
7. For a warmer variation, swap the bourbon for a smoky Scotch or add a cinnamon stick as a stirrer so the spice infuses as you sip.
8. The Boulevardier was created in the 1920s by Erskine Gwynne, an American expatriate who published a Paris magazine of the same name and drank at Harry's New York Bar. It is the Negroni's richer cousin: swap gin for bourbon and the drink turns from summery and crisp to deep, warming and autumnal, with the whiskey's vanilla and oak softening Campari's bitter edge. As the evenings draw in and the leaves turn, this ruby-red classic is the drink to stir while a stew simmers on the stove.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 210 kcal
• Protein: 0g
• Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 10g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 9g
• Sodium: 5mg