The Boulevardier is often called the Negroni’s whiskey-drinking cousin. First mixed in Paris in the 1920s, it swaps gin for bourbon or rye while keeping sweet vermouth and Campari in place. The result is richer, warmer, and a little moodier than the Negroni — less crisp, more comforting, but just as elegant. A great example of how a single swap can completely change the feel of a cocktail. That idea is what led me to create Any Port.

Created by Harry MacElhone, a famed bartender, worked at the Plaza Hotel in New York until prohibition hit America in 1920. Bartenders across America, suddenly out of work, relocated to Europe to find jobs and continue their craft. MacElhone relocated to several bars in Europe, and one of them happened to be Tod Sloan’s New York Bar in Paris. In 1923, he ended up buying the establishment and changing the name to Harry’s New York Bar, which is now one of the most famous bars in the world. Harry’s is believed to be the origin of many other classic cocktails, including the Sidecar, Bloody Mary, and French 75.

In the late 1920s, McElhone included the recipe in his book Barflies and Cocktails (1927).

So for my creation instead of Campari, I reached for Lustau East India Solera Sherry. It adds a rich, nutty sweetness that plays perfectly with Knob Creek 9 Year Bourbon and Cocchi Vermouth di Torino. A couple dashes of Barrel-Aged Peychaud’s Bitters finish it off.

The result lands somewhere between a Manhattan and a Boulevardier — still strong and direct, but warmer and rounder. Think of it as the Boulevardier’s laid-back cousin, the one who tells better stories and lingers at the table a little longer.

Recipe

• 2 oz Knob Creek 9 Year Bourbon
• 1 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
• 1 oz Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
• 2 dashes Barrel-Aged Peychaud’s Bitters

Stir with ice, strain over a big cube, and enjoy.

Simple, solid, and Boulevardier-inspired.