HARRY'S BAR, PARIS

As is our Xmas tradition at The Negroni Society, we like to finish off the year with this incredible cocktail from the true legends at Harry's Bar in Paris. It's the perfect Negroni variation to round off the year and we absolutely love it. Rich, round and hearty and for us it captures the warmth of Xmas impeccably.

So, please allow me to reintroduce…

THE BOULEVARDIER
The Boulevardier was first invented during Prohibition and was known as the signature drink of writer Erskine Gwynne. Gwynne left America for Paris in the 1920’s and became the editor of a monthly publication called (what else?) The Boulevardier.

“The three things that make a Boulevardier – Bourbon, Campari, and Vermouth, with a little twist”

The earliest recipe for the drink is found as a footnote in Barflies and Cocktails by Harry McElhone. Another American who made the move to Europe, the former head bartender of the Plaza hotel wrote Barflies and Cocktails to list more than 300 cocktail recipes as a means of preserving recipes during Prohibition. The Boulevardier doesn’t make the cutoff for a formal recipe, but does appear in the epilogue that covers memorable barflies:

“Now is the time for all good barflies to come to the aid of the party, since Erskine Gwynne crashed in with his Boulevardier Cocktail: 1/3 Campari, 1/3 Italian Vermouth, 1/3 Bourbon whisky,” writes McElhone.

The original recipe is perfectly balanced, but many bartenders add their own touch – an extra ounce of whiskey, a blend of different Vermouth varieties, or a lemon twist as opposed to the orange.

THE WORLD FAMOUS HARRY’S BAR
One of the best known bars in the world, the birthplace of the brilliant Bloody Mary, Harry’s has been serving incredible cocktails since 1911. Harry’s started life as a bistro which was purchased and converted into a bar by American jockey Tod Sloan. Called simply ‘The New York Bar’ the actual wooden bar itself was imported in from Manhattan, and a Scottish barman called Harry MacElhone was hired to run the joint. In 1923, Harry bought the bar outright, added his name, and began to turn Harry’s into one of Paris’ most legendary watering holes.

Famous patrons over the years have included F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jack Dempsey, Thornton Wilder and most famously Ernest Hemingway. It was in the dark mahogany piano bar decorated with faded American College pennants, that George Gershwin is said to have composed ‘An American In Paris.’ British writer Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, is also thought to have been fond of Harry's Bar. In the novel Casino Royale, Bond called it the best place in Paris to get a "solid drink".

As well as being the adopted home of legendary ex-pat drinkers, Harry’s also claims to be the home of legendary drinks. Fernand Petiot is said to have invented the Bloody Mary here in 1921 (although other accounts have the restorative cocktail being created around the same time at Manhattan’s 21 Club by George Jessel). Petiot insisted however that he was the true inventor of the drink, which he eventually took to the King Cole Bar at the St.Regis Hotel, Manhattan. Owner Harry MacElhone himself invented the French 75, a potent mix of champagne, gin, lemon juice and sugar that Harry likened to be hit by a French 75 mm artillery shell, and the no less strong Side Car.

THE DRINK
Their Boulevardier recipe is a bold, balanced, elegant classic. Super simple, yet effective.

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TO SERVE YOUR BOULEVARDIER

• Pop the pouch in the freezer for 40 minutes until nicely chilled.
• Pour into an ice-filled tumbler or old-fashioned glass.
• Garnish with a slice of orange, slipped into the glass

DRINK!

THE RECIPE

• 30ml Good quality Bourbon
• 20ml Sweet Vermouth (we use our ESTATE Vermouth, of course!)
• 20ml Campari

To recreate this delightful Negroni variation, simply follow the instructions below:

• Add the 3 ingredients above to an ice-filled cocktail shaker and stir for 60 seconds until well-chilled and slightly diluted.
• Pour into an ice-filled tumbler or old-fashioned glass.
• Garnish with a slice of orange and serve
• If you want to prebatch your drinks to serve quickly later, just add another 10ml water to the ingredients above, to ‘pre-dilute’ the blend