"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!