Boulevardier, Cocktail of the Week

Boulevardier

I’ve had the Boulevardier on the list of cocktails to make for some time. It just kept getting kicked back another week as other cocktails came up that seemed more interesting. And then it got kicked back because I had that string of Campari based cocktails all in a row and I didn’t feel comfortable doing yet another.

So what is a Boulevardier? It’s the Fall/Winter cousin of the Negroni. Subbing out gin for bourbon or rye whisky. This single substitution though changes the entire drink. Whisky smooths out and mellows the edges of a drink that is already made sharp by Campari. Something that the Negroni really did need…

Boulevardier
The ingredients

Boulevardier

  • 1 oz. Campari
  • 1 oz. sweet vermouth
  • 1 1/2 oz. rye whisky

Add all ingredients to ice filled rocks glass. Stir to combine. Garnish with a orange twist.

Boulevardier

Though as with the Negroni, you don’t want to hurry this cocktail. Take your time. Enjoy the interplay of rye and sweet vermouth. Embrace the medicinal brace of Campari as it splashes against the back of your throat.

The winter is long and cold and this drink can only keep you warm for so long. Embrace and enjoy it while it lasts.

Cocktail of the Week – Queens

Queens

I continue working my way through New York City’s borough’s this week (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island) with the Queens’ cocktail. The Queens most resembles a Perfect Martini, a martini with equal part of dry and sweet vermouth, that has had pineapple juice added to it. If you’ve been following the Burroughs cocktail you’ll also know that this cocktail is nearly identical to the Bronx, which happens to also be more popular as a cocktail, except having pineapple instead of orange juice.

Queens
The ingredients

Queens

  • 1 oz. gin
  • 1 oz. dry vermouth
  • 1 oz. sweet vermouth
  • 1 oz. pineapple juice

Fill shaker with ice cubes. Add all ingredients. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

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The Queens is a perfectly cromulent cocktail. Especially if you’re a fan of gin or pineapple… There really isn’t anything that makes it stick out though. It’s enjoyable but isn’t memorable enough that’d you’d order it at the bar. Or maybe it’s just unfair to compare it to the Manhattan? Probably unfair to compare most cocktails to the Manhattan. I do think some small changes would go a long way in making the cocktail more enjoyable the first among them are a little lemon juice and an egg white. The lemon juice would brighten the cocktail and add some depth to the drink and the egg white would make it silky smooth going down…

Queens

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