Boulevardier Blanc
Bourbon, blanc vermouth and Suze, stirred over a big rock. The White Negroni's bourbon cousin — gentian-bitter, honeyed and pale gold, and the Boulevardier for a summer evening.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Add the bourbon, blanc vermouth and Suze to a mixing glass.
Fill with ice and stir for 25 seconds.
Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass, or up into a chilled coupe.
Express a lemon twist over the top and drop it in.
A thoughtful finish
- Half an ounce of Suze for a gentler drink.
- Blanc vermouth, not dry; its sweetness balances the gentian.
- A grapefruit twist suits it as well as lemon.
Common mistakes
- Dry vermouth, which leaves it thin and bitter.
- Equal parts, which lets the Suze take over.
- Shaking.
A few good questions.
What does a Boulevardier Blanc taste like?
Bourbon's vanilla with honeyed vermouth and an earthy gentian bitterness — pale, bitter and smooth.
What is blanc vermouth?
A sweet white vermouth — Dolin Blanc, Carpano Bianco — sweeter than dry, paler than red.
What is Suze?
A French gentian aperitif, about 20%, yellow and bitter.
Rye or bourbon?
Bourbon is the Boulevardier; rye makes it drier.
Variations
- Boulevardier — Bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth.
- White Negroni — Gin, Lillet and Suze.
- Negroni Bianco — Gin, bianco vermouth and Bitter Bianco.
- Old Pal — Rye, Campari and dry vermouth.
Where it comes from
c. 2015 · United States
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
The White Negroni of 2001 — gin, Lillet Blanc and Suze — spawned a family of ‘white’ or ‘blanc’ versions of the Campari classics once Suze reached the United States in 2012, and the Boulevardier Blanc is the bourbon one: the Boulevardier’s whiskey with blanc vermouth for the sweet and Suze for the Campari. Bourbon’s vanilla and caramel meet the blanc vermouth’s honey and the gentian’s earthy bitterness, and the result is lighter and paler than a Boulevardier but no less bitter. It appears on menus from about 2015 under this name and as a White Boulevardier. A rye makes it drier; a wheated bourbon rounder.
Sources
- Difford's Guide, White Boulevardier, 2016 (reference)
- Punch, Suze Cocktails, 2017 (reference)
- Liquor.com, White Boulevardier, 2021 (reference)
Strength. About 1.58 US standard drinks at an estimated 26.3% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
A keeper?
Save this drink for your next cocktail hour.
Saved in this browser.The next great drink
might already be on your shelf.
Choose your bottles and mixers. Discover what you can make.