Contents
Greetings, dear reader! Today we will talk about a cocktail with a very interesting and complex name – Boulvardier. Despite the unusual name, there is nothing complicated in its preparation, and you can make this cocktail at home on your own.
Historical background
The author of the cocktail is Erksin Gwynn, an immigrant from America. He wrote for the Parisian magazine Boulevardier, which was published in the 30s. However, some sources claim that Gwynn did not come up with it himself – the mixed mix was made for him in one of the French bars and named after the publication on which the writer worked.
Taste qualities of Boulevardier
It is a bitter drink that tastes like a Negroni or a Manhattan. Red vermouth adds some astringency (although it’s still far from sweet), and bourbon adds richness to the bitterness of the bitter. Also, the taste of the mix may vary depending on what kind of vermouth or bourbon you use.
Food and energy value
There are about 200 kcal in the whole Boulevardier. This is not very much, but if you drink five glasses per evening, their calorie content will be about half of the daily diet. Therefore, be careful, because strong alcohol has a high calorie content and can harm your figure, as well as retain fluid in the body.
Fortress of the Boulevardier cocktail
The average strength of Boulvardie is 30-31%. But in order to calculate it, pay attention to the alcohol content of the specific ingredients you use.
How and with what to drink a cocktail
There are no strict rules for serving Boulevardier – except that it must be a chilled glass. You can add a large block of ice to it if the bourbon or vermouth was not cold enough to begin with. The tube is not served.
You need to drink Bulvardie slowly, in small sips. It is unsweetened, so it can be served before or after meals.
Cooking equipment
To make your own Boulevardier at home, you will need a rocks glass or an old fashioned glass, a bar spoon for stirring, and a special knife for slicing citrus zest. However, now you can find a replacement for all this: choose the glass that you have, use an ordinary spoon if there is no long one, and try to cut the zest with an ordinary kitchen knife (it is better to look for a small one).
Cocktail recipe Boulevardier
Let’s see the Boulevardier recipe. It is similar to another strong cocktail – Negroni and has partially similar ingredients.
Composition and proportions
Required Ingredients for Boulevardier:
- bourbon (recommended to take Woodford Reserve) – 45 ml;
- sweet red vermouth – 30 l;
- Campari bitter liqueur – 30 ml;
- orange (for cutting the zest).
Some bartenders also add a few drops of Angostura bitters for a more intense taste. But remember that bitter always gives bitterness, and Campari is already in the original recipe.
Stages of preparation
Step by step cooking Boulevardier:
- Put a few medium ice cubes or one large one in a glass (so that the finished cocktail occupies almost the entire space of a small glass to the top).
- Pour red vermouth and Campari onto ice, mix.
- Add the bourbon and again mix everything thoroughly with a bar spoon.
Serve with citrus zest (you can put it on ice or attach it to the rim of the glass so that you can smell the aroma).
Decoration
As a decoration for Boulvardie, orange peel is used (twisted twists are made from it) or maraschino cherries. You can also take lemon zest as a decoration if you didn’t have an orange.
Alternative cocktail recipes
A drink similar to Boulvardier is called Old pal. It is prepared in exactly the same way, but it has a slightly different set of ingredients. Old pal uses dry vermouth (white) and Irish whiskey instead of American bourbon.
General recommendations
There is no sweetness in classic Boulevardier. But you can add sugar syrup and see if this unconventional combination is to your liking. You can also experiment with bourbon additions – try replacing the vermouth with gin (hello Negroni!) or rum. These are also dry drinks, and they will give Boulvardie an interesting taste.
Especially desperate ones even try to add absinthe – only they do not drink it with bourbon, but flavor the glass with it. Bourbon itself is replaced with rye whiskey or even cognac. Of course, this will no longer be a classic cocktail … but in your kitchen (or in your bar) you are free to do whatever you want! After all, that’s how the best cocktails are made – daring bartenders just mix whatever combinations they find interesting.
Well, on this I, dear reader, say goodbye to you. Subscribe to new publications, tell your friends about interesting recipes and boldly experiment with cocktails, creating new unforgettable tastes. See you soon!