Boulevardier Cocktail Using Local Sweet Vermouth
Boulevardier Cocktail with Flying Fox Vermouth
I am very excited for my first installment of Drift Cville @ Home, where I’ll be making cocktails and recipes using local ingredients. To kick it off I will be making a favorite cocktail of mine, the Boulevardier. If you haven’t had one before it’s very similar to a Negroni with the difference being it uses whiskey instead of gin. Think of it like the older and more mature cousin of a Negroni and more appropriate for these colder winter nights.
The ingredients are simple, which is always nice when making cocktails, and the recipe I follow calls for equal parts of all three liquors:
1 oz whiskey
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 oz Campari
Orange peel to garnish
The local ingredient I will be showcasing in this cocktail is the Sweet Vermouth from Flying Fox Vineyard, which is one of my favorite spots. For starters, their tasting room has a great aesthetic (it makes you feel like you stepped into a Wes Anderson movie), they offer plenty of outdoor seating and they are incredibly dog friendly. Beyond that, they produce quality Virginia wine in addition to their lovely Sweet Vermouth. You can shop for it here and there is also a site for Virginia Vermouth where they include some great recipes for cocktails ("foxtails"). The other nice thing about their products is it is all high quality, which is exactly what you want to use in a cocktail like this - you don’t want to have bad alcohol taking away from the taste.
Now, let’s make the drink!
Making a Boulevardier Cocktail
The beauty of this drink is it is incredibly easy to make. You simply fill a shaker with ice and add the whiskey, Campari and Flying Fox Sweet Vermouth before shaking away (though you can also stir this cocktail if that is your preferred way or you don’t have a shaker - I just happen to really enjoy shaking cocktails). You’ll then strain it into a glass over ice before garnishing with an orange twist. Nice and easy!
I personally like to have fun with how I present cocktails at home so I tend to go with coupe or antique glasses and then add a rose shaped ice cube. It may be gimmicky but I feel like the ice cube makes an at home cocktail look more elevated and fun.
When to Serve a Boulevardier Cocktail
This is a great cocktail to switch out for your Negroni in the colder months so I would definitely suggest it for the late fall & winter. Given its pretty color (and how lovely it looks with the rose ice cubes) it would be nice for a romantic dinner or hosting a girls night. Like the Negroni, the Boulevardier pairs well with Italian food but I personally love it as a pre dinner cocktail when hosting a pizza night.
I hope you enjoy this cocktail - and I especially hope you love the local Sweet Vermouth from Flying Fox Vineyards.
Cheers and happy drinking!
