The Banana Boulevardier is a spirit-forward cocktail made with just four ingredients: bourbon, sweet vermouth, banana liqueur, and bitters. The cocktail is served in a rocks glass over a large ice cube and garnished with an orange peel twist.
This fruity, inviting cocktail is a riff on the Boulevardier, a bourbon-based cocktail invented in Paris in the 1920s. The Banana Boulevardier swaps bittersweet Campari for banana liqueur, which adds sweetness and amplifies the caramel notes in the bourbon. This banana-forward version, developed by cookbook author Lauren Covas, leans more boozy and sweet and less bitter than the original.
Banana liqueur is a flavorful, versatile ingredient that balances creamy, fragrant banana notes with just enough sweetness and caramelly undertones. Covas prefers Giffard Banane du Brésil for its smooth texture, and other go-tos include Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane, which has notes of spice, and Pairidaēza, which tastes of fresh bananas. Use banana liqueurs as a sweetener in a simple cocktail like this one, or serve it simply over ice with a splash of seltzer and a spritz of lime.
Why the Banana Boulevardier works
The success of this cocktail lies in its simplicity. Like a classic Boulevardier, this drink uses just four ingredients and a simple yet impactful garnish. Bourbon’s toasty, spiced notes blend seamlessly with warming sweet vermouth and silky, fruity banana liqueur.
The addition of a dash of Angostura bitters cuts through the sweeter notes in this cocktail and adds balancing herbal and baking spice aromas. The traditional Boulevardier garnish, an orange peel twist, is used here for a pop of fresh citrus and a touch of bitterness. Stirring over ice dilutes the cocktail slightly, and serving it over a large ice cube will keep it well-chilled without adding too much water to the cocktail as the ice slowly melts.
This recipe was developed by Lauren Covas; the text was written by Lucy Simon.
Dining and Cooking