"The sailor to his sea, the woodsman to his woods, and the boulevardier to his beloved avenues"

 Burned Bridges - Bertrand W. Sinclair

During the dark days of Prohibition in America, many bartenders made their way across the pond to continue their passion of crafting and pouring libations.  One of these greats was Harry McElhone who opened Harry's New York Bar in Paris.  In his Barflies and Cocktails (1927), McElhone mentions not only this drink, but the man who inspired the masses to drink it. 

"Now is the time for all good Barflies to come to the aid of the party, since Erskinne Gwynne crashed in with his Boulevardier Cocktail: 1/3 Campari, 1/3 Italian Vermouth, 1/3 Bourbon whisky."

Now enter Erskine Gwynne, expatriate writer, socialite and nephew of railroad tycoon Alfred Vanderbilt.  He was an editor for The Paris Boulevardier (a sort of Parisian “New Yorker”).  Clearly this drink is a spin-off of the classic Negroni, which is a quintessential  aperitif.  But what is it about the name?...put simply, a boulevardier was the term for a hipster...someone that was a man-about-town...a person who was in the know!  Although the cocktail book makes no mention of a garnish, I tend to follow the Negroni path and zest it with an orange.

Barragan's Boulevardier

1 oz Buffalo Trace

1 oz Campari

1 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth

stirred in a mixing beaker and strained into chilled coupe glass, garnished with an orange zest

Cheers!

   

"I want the M5... Margerum that is!"

Santa Barbara wine country has always been near and dear to my heart.  It was the first wine region that I had ever visited, tasted and really got to see the whole wine making process.  This was the region that hooked and reeled me in.  Over the years I have had the chance to meet many of their winemakers...of these there are a handful that really stand head and shoulders above the rest...Doug Margerum is one of those guys.

I remember tasting my first Margerum wine many moons ago.  The wine was balanced with layers of flavors and nuances, since then I have tasted through many of his wines and all have had his signature silky layering.

Doug entered the culinary world as a young traveler alongside his parents on explorations through France.  His curiosity and passion grew through his high school and college years working in restaurants.  Upon graduating from UCSB in 1981, Doug's parents purchased the Wine Cask, a wine store and bistro located in Santa Barbara.  Eventually his passions lead him to winemaking and by 2007 he decided to devote all of his energies into making wine.  Currently he is making wine under two of his own labels, Margerum and Barden, and overseeing productions for Jamie Slone Wines, Happy Canyon Vineyard and Cent' Anni Vineyards.

Two years ago I was fortunate enough to meet Doug and taste with him

Currently, I have an amazing Sauvignon blanc from Margerum on my list called Sybarite.  This wine is an amalgamation of four different Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara vineyards, Grassini, Curtis, Star Lane and McGinley.  The wine is rich with remarkable complexity, texture, persistence and length.  The Sybarites were an ancient Greek society living in Southeastern Italy and noted for their luxurious, pleausre-seeking behavior...believe me, this wine lives up to that moniker!

This is one of the finest Sauvignon Blancs produced in Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara

Cheers to you Doug for all your efforts!  This wines are truly amazing!

http://www.margerumwinecompany.com/