Last night, I was at the Anvil Houston and saw that they have a Boulevardier Cocktail on their menu. Being a fan of Campari, I had to come home, look up a cocktail recipe, and try it. It’s a classic cocktail, very similar to the Negroni and the Old Pal but it uses bourbon instead of gin or rye whiskey.

To make a Boulevardier, combine with ice

• 1 1/2 oz bourbon
• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz sweet vermouth

and strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass.

I’m a huge fan of the Negroni because the gin doesn’t complicate the flavors of the Campari and sweet vermouth. They shine through nicely in that drink.

Here, it’s a completely different animal. The Campari and vermouth are definitely there, but they accent the sweetness from the bourbon. Imagine a very sweet, slightly bitter bourbon cocktail and you have the Boulevardier. I only want one of them because it’s so sweet, but you can believe I will return to it. It’s a perfect drink for a rainy night like tonight. Perfect because it’s warming and bitter with hints of cloves and cinnamon and everything nice.