A Bourbon Twist on Negroni Week

The negroni is a gin-based, spirit-forward cocktail made with Campari and vermouth. The bourbon drinker’s negroni—the boulevardier—uses bourbon instead of gin, adding layers of character depending on the bourbon. The bold yet sweet bourbon balances with the bitterness of Campari while the sweet vermouth amplifies the spiced notes found in some bourbons.

The barrels in which the bourbon is aged contribute to over 50 percent of the bourbon’s favor and 100 percent of its color. This is why well-crafted bourbon starts with well-crafted barrels. Each day, coopers raise the barrels that give bourbons’ their unique flavor profiles. Each groove and variation in char from the barrel develops a new element of the flavor profile within the bourbon. Coopers create the barrels and the barrels create the bourbon, making the coopers a  major factor in the bourbon their barrels create. Coopers’ Craft Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey was created to honor the coopers and their craft.

Barrel Reserve 100 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a bold bourbon with a complex flavor profile born from one-of-a-kind, chiseled and charred American white oak barrels. Barrel Reserve is aged in a chiseled and charred barrel that deepens the whiskey’s wood exposure and gives it a bold, robust taste profile, making it just the right bourbon for the spirit-forward boulevardier.

To further elevate your negroni experience, or to give your hand at a new cocktail or two, the below recipes add some variation to the classic. When you are crafting your own boulevardier, make sure you honor the coopers who crafted the barrels and drink responsibly.

Honor the craft. Drink responsibly.

Coopers’ Craft Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 41.1-50 percent alcohol by volume, Brown-Forman Beverages, Louisville, Kentucky.

Coopers’ Craft is a registered trademark. ©2021 Brown-Forman.

BOURBON RECIPES AND BOULEVARDIER VARIATIONS

Boulevardier

Try the bourbon drinker’s negroni. Coopers’ Craft Barrel Reserve serves as the perfect balanced bourbon for this spirit-forward classic.

Golden Boulevardier

For a lighter version of a negroni, follow the recipe below. Coopers’ Craft Barrel Reserve provides the bold and robust base for the Lillet Blanc and Suze, adding depth and character to the cocktail.

Fall Favorite Bourbon Recipe: Imperial Boulevardier

Fall is upon us and the Imperial Boulevardier does not disappoint. Try the recipe below for a full-bodied cocktail fit for an autumn day.