Rhubarb Boulevardier Cocktail

This adaptation of the classic Boulevardier substitutes Gran Classico and homemade rhubarb syrup for the Campari.

By
Maggie Hoffman
Maggie Hoffman is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Maggie Hoffman
Maggie Hoffman is a longtime food and drink expert whose recipes and cocktail-making tips can be found on her newsletters What to Drink and The Dinner Plan. She is the author of  The One-Bottle Cocktail and Batch Cocktails, both published by Ten Speed Press.
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Updated April 17, 2023
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Maggie Hoffman

Why It Works

  • The honeyed character of the Gran Classico latches right on to the bourbon, while the fresh rhubarb syrup adds tart fruitiness.

This adaptation of the classic Boulevardier substitutes Gran Classico and homemade rhubarb syrup for the Campari. It's a luscious combination; bourbon and Gran Classico play very nicely together, and the fresh rhubarb adds just enough tart fruity flavor.

If Gran Classico isn't on your radar yet, it should be, especially if you're a fan of Campari and Aperol (and even if you're not.) Like Campari, Gran Classico is a Bitter of Turin, based on a recipe created in 1860s Italy. A number of roots, herbs, and other plants are infused to make this intensely aromatic aperitif, including bitter orange peel, gentian, rhubarb, and wormwood. Because wormwood (usually associated with absinthe) was banned in spirits in the US from 1912 to 2007, this deliciously bittersweet dram faded from popularity until it was rediscovered by California importer Tempus Fugit.

It's delicious stuff, with a candied orange aroma and rich apricot, marmalade, honey, and yes, rhubarb flavors up front. It's sweet but remarkably balanced, with a slightly mentholated bitterness on the finish that makes it drinkable on its own. It's less sticky-sweet and aggressive than Campari, and its complex herbal notes make it a wonderful partner for gin. Gran Classico Negroni? Yes, please. (Be sure to use good, fresh vermouth, like Dolin.)

May 2011

Recipe Details

Rhubarb Boulevardier Cocktail Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 10 mins
Active 5 mins
Total 15 mins
Serves 1 serving
Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

For the rhubarb syrup:

  • 2 cups chopped rhubarb

  • 1 cup water

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

For the cocktail:

  • 1.5 ounces bourbon

  • 1/2 ounce Gran Classico

  • 3/4 ounce rhubarb syrup

  • 1 ounce sweet vermouth

  • garnish: lemon twist

Directions

  1. To make the rhubarb syrup, place chopped rhubarb, water, and sugar in a heavy-bottomed pot. Cook over medium low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and begins to fall apart. Strain and let cool.

  2. To make the cocktail, fill a mixing glass with ice. Add bourbon, Gran Classico, rhubarb syrup, and sweet vermouth. Stir until fully chilled, about 1 minute. Strain into cocktail glass, garnish with lemon twist.

Special Equipment

Cocktail strainer, glass jar or bottle

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
391 Calories
1g Fat
59g Carbs
2g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 391
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 25mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 59g 21%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 47g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 27mg 136%
Calcium 228mg 18%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 746mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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