So the other night I was out and one of the house drinks was a Boulevardier which is actually a cousin to a Negroni. As a reminder a Negroni is equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Since I don’t care much for gin I actually have never had one. Of course anyone who follows the blog will remember my first experience with Campari, and I still cannot see anyone drinking it straight over ice. So a Boulevardier is typically equal parts Bourbon, Campari, and sweet vermouth, but some use rye whiskey. The barkeep was kind enough to offer a sample and the Campari still overpowered the drink making it too astringent. I went home and tried a 1:1:1 mix of my own and a 2:1:2 mix side by side. Both still seemed to be too much Campari for my taste. Someone suggested I try a 1794 which is a very similar drink, but rye based. The drink is 2 parts rye, 1 part Campari, and 1 part sweet vermouth. I decided to make it last night with Bourbon and while I am unsure of the name, I was very pleased at the result when simply stirred and placed in a glass with a large cube. Keep in mind everything going in the glass is alcohol and I did not spend time on a garnish, but for some reason doubling the Bourbon while keeping the Campari and sweet vermouth at the same level made for a magnificent beast of a drink. While sweet the astringency and orange character of the Campari helped it finish dry and pleasant. I used Very Old Barton as my Bourbon since I knew it had a mild character and any other Bourbon would only improve the drink by adding complexity. Some recipes for a 1794 include a dash of bitters and an orange peel garnish and I think both would be welcomed additions and bring something to the party.
