I’m not one to deny the ambition of extending summer with breezy tropical cocktails in December, but I do embrace Old Man Winter with a glass of something hardier yet complex enough to sip and ponder by the hearth. For this, the near-century-old boulevardier suits the occasion.
The cocktail in print dates back to 1927, when it appeared in the book “Barflies and Cocktails” by Scottish American expat Harry MacElhone. But within, it’s credited to Erskine Gwynne, connected to the wealthy Vanderbilt family by his great-aunt Alice Gwynne, who had married Cornelius Vanderbilt II.
![A whiskey base adds warmth, a bit of sweetness, and heft. (conzorb/Shutterstock)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F11%2F17%2Fshutterstock_155027645.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Gwynne, who was an American born in Paris, didn’t just ride on his social standing; he served in World War I when he came of age and took a few tough jobs before settling into some light, gossip-style journalism. He gained a reputation as a socialite and founded a magazine called The Boulevardier. The word itself means a frequenter of boulevards, as in “a man about town.”
He found his way to the New York Bar, which had been opened by an American bar owner who had fled Prohibition and reopened his establishment in Paris. MacElhone worked as the bartender there, but in 1923, he took over the business. MacElhone’s nod to Gwynne in the book confirms the drink’s origin, as does perhaps the name of Gwynne’s magazine.
![Cocchi Vermouth from Torino is a nice choice for its herbal elements. (barinart/Shutterstock)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F11%2F17%2Fshutterstock_759604786.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Gwynne could’ve called his drink “An American in Europe,” with New World whiskey meeting Old World spirits: sweet vermouth and bittersweet Campari from Italy. The recipe is basically a negroni—which is built with gin instead of whiskey—but with bolder flavor.
![Pour over a large ice cube to maintain the drink's chill. (Maksym Fesenko/Shutterstock)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F11%2F17%2Fshutterstock_1249833823.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Boulevardier
- 1 1/2 ounces rye or bourbon whiskey
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce vermouth
- Orange zest twist