Boulevardier
A Boulevardier is 45ml bourbon, 30ml Campari and 30ml sweet vermouth, stirred over ice for 20 to 30 seconds and strained over fresh ice in a rocks glass, with orange peel. It is the bourbon Negroni: the same Campari and vermouth with bourbon in place of gin, and that one change makes it warmer and rounder. About 3.0 UK units. It first appeared in print in Barflies and Cocktails, published in Paris in 1927, where Harry MacElhone of Harry’s New York Bar credited it to Erskine Gwynne, an American writer who ran a monthly magazine called Boulevardier. The 1927 recipe was equal parts. The measures here are the IBA’s, with the bourbon ahead of the other two. Equal parts works well with a lighter vermouth. Against a rich one such as Carpano Antica Formula, the extra 15ml of bourbon keeps the drink from turning heavy.
Glassware: Rocks Glass
Garnish: Orange peel
Ingredients
45ml
A bourbon at 40 to 45% ABV with clear vanilla and caramel. Rye, which the IBA also allows, makes a drier, spicier drink. A very light bourbon gets lost under the Campari.
30ml
The bitter half of the drink, at 25% ABV in the UK. Bourbon is sweeter than gin, so the Campari has more to balance here than in a Negroni.
30ml
Italian sweet red vermouth. Carpano Antica Formula suits bourbon well; Cocchi Storico is the alternative. Refrigerate after opening and use within about four weeks.
Instructions
Fill a rocks glass with large cubed ice to chill it.
Add the bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth to a mixing glass.
Fill the mixing glass with cubed ice and stir for 20 to 30 seconds.
Tip the ice out of the rocks glass, refill it with fresh cubes or one large cube, and strain the drink over it.
Express a wide strip of orange peel over the surface, rest it in the glass and serve.
Source: the IBA (Official IBA specification, served over ice in a rocks glass where the IBA strains it into a cocktail glass; method ours). Last checked 9 October 2026.
Expert Tip
Match the vermouth to the bourbon. Carpano Antica Formula has vanilla and dried fruit that sit with the bourbon’s own vanilla and caramel, and Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino does a similar job. A lighter vermouth makes a sharper, more Negroni-like drink, and with one of those, equal parts suits better. Stir for 20 to 30 seconds with plenty of cubed ice, then strain over fresh ice. The stirring ice has already started to melt and would thin the drink faster in the glass. Keep the vermouth in the fridge and use it within about four weeks. At 30ml it is nearly a third of the drink, and a stale bottle shows.
Behind the Boulevardier
Flavour Profile
The Origin
The Boulevardier first appeared in print in Barflies and Cocktails, published in Paris in 1927. The book was Harry MacElhone’s, of Harry’s New York Bar, and he credited the drink to Erskine Gwynne, one of his regulars: an American writer who founded a monthly magazine in Paris called Boulevardier, which ran from 1927 to 1932.
The 1927 recipe was a third each of Campari, Italian vermouth and bourbon. The IBA specification now moves the bourbon ahead, at 45ml to 30ml each, and that is the version here.
The Negroni Relationship
The usual account dates the Negroni to Florence around 1919, which would put it eight years ahead, though how much of that story is accurate is debated. Whether Gwynne knew the Negroni is not recorded.
The two share Campari, sweet vermouth and the stir, and differ in one ingredient, which makes the pair a useful lesson in what a base spirit does. Gin brings juniper and a dry edge. Bourbon brings vanilla, caramel and a sweeter grain, and the drink moves from taut to rich.
Boulevardier and Negroni compared
Boulevardier (IBA)
- Spec
- 45ml bourbon or rye, 30ml Campari, 30ml sweet vermouth
- Strength
- About 3.0 UK units
- Character
- Rich, with vanilla under the bitter orange
Boulevardier (1927)
- Spec
- Equal parts bourbon, Campari and Italian vermouth
- Strength
- About 2.4 UK units at 30ml each
- Character
- Sweeter, with the Campari further forward
Negroni
- Spec
- 30ml gin, 30ml Campari, 30ml sweet vermouth
- Strength
- About 2.4 UK units
- Character
- Juniper, dry and bitter
| Drink | Spec | Strength | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulevardier (IBA) | 45ml bourbon or rye, 30ml Campari, 30ml sweet vermouth | About 3.0 UK units | Rich, with vanilla under the bitter orange |
| Boulevardier (1927) | Equal parts bourbon, Campari and Italian vermouth | About 2.4 UK units at 30ml each | Sweeter, with the Campari further forward |
| Negroni | 30ml gin, 30ml Campari, 30ml sweet vermouth | About 2.4 UK units | Juniper, dry and bitter |
Ratio and Balance
Equal parts gives a Negroni-like balance with the Campari clearly heard. The IBA’s 45ml of bourbon keeps the spirit in front and turns the Campari into seasoning. The deciding factor is the vermouth: a rich one at equal parts tips the drink heavy, and a light one against extra bourbon can leave it short of bitterness.
Vermouth Selection
Carpano Antica Formula carries vanilla and dried fruit, which meet the same notes in the bourbon, and the drink comes out more of a piece than with a lighter bottle. Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino is the alternative. Whatever the bottle, keep it in the fridge: at 30ml the vermouth is nearly a third of the drink.
How to Serve It
Stirred and strained over fresh ice in a rocks glass, with orange peel expressed over the top and left in the glass. The IBA strains it into a chilled cocktail glass with no ice, which gives a colder, shorter drink with no further dilution. Both are correct.
It suits the end of a meal more than the start, being heavier and sweeter than a Negroni. It also changes as it sits: over the first ten minutes the ice softens the Campari.
Make it at home
The Spirit
Whiskey (Bourbon)Bourbon is an American whiskey whose mash is at least 51% corn, matured in fresh charred oak barrels and bottled at 40% ABV or higher, the figure our recipes use. The fresh charred wood gives it its vanilla, caramel and colour, and the corn gives a rounder, sweeter spirit than rye. It is the base of 26 of our recipes, more than any other whiskey.
More to explore
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Boulevardier?
How does it differ from a Negroni?
Who created the Boulevardier?
Equal parts or bourbon-forward?
Can I make a Boulevardier with rye?
What is the difference between a Boulevardier and an Old Pal?
Which sweet vermouth should I use?
How strong is a Boulevardier?
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Recipe by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 12 October 2026