The Boulevardier is a Negroni that swaps gin for bourbon, and the result is warmer, richer, and more approachable. Where the Negroni is all sharp edges and bitter precision, the Boulevardier softens those edges with the bourbon’s caramel and oak. It was invented by an American writer in Paris in the 1920s, and it has the personality to match: bold but not aggressive, bitter but not punishing.

The three-way balance

Equal parts bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitter orange aperitif. Each ingredient pulls the drink in a different direction, and the balance between them is what makes it work. The bourbon adds warmth and sweetness, the vermouth adds herbal complexity, and the Campari alternative brings the bitterness that gives the drink its edge.

Lyre’s Italian Orange does a good job capturing that bittersweet, citrus-peel character that defines the Boulevardier. Without genuine bitterness in the glass, the drink collapses into something too sweet. If you find the bitterness too strong at first, try reducing the Italian Orange to three-quarters of an ounce and working your way up as your palate adjusts.

Stirred and strained

Like the Manhattan, this is a stirred drink. Shake it and you change the texture in ways that don’t suit the spirit-forward character. Stir in a mixing glass with plenty of ice for 20 to 30 seconds, then strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Express the orange peel over the surface and drop it in.

The seasonal angle

The Boulevardier works year-round, but it feels especially at home in cooler weather. The warmth of the bourbon and the spiced bitterness of the aperitif match the mood of fall and winter. The Manhattan is the natural companion if you want to offer a bourbon-forward alternative without the bitter element.