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Negroni vs Boulevardier

Equal-parts bitter classics — gin against bourbon.

Which should you make?

The Boulevardier is the winter one. Bourbon's sweetness and weight round off Campari's edges, where gin's botanicals sharpen them, so the Negroni stays brighter and more bitter and the Boulevardier turns warmer and rounder. Same equal-parts build, so make whichever bottle you have open.

Cocktail comparison table
Attribute	"Negroni served in Vancouver BC" by Geoff Peters from Vancouver, BC, Canada is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. Negroni	Photo by Vivita Malite on Pexels Boulevardier
In a word	off-dry, soft, light — a bitter aperitif drink served over ice.	off-dry, soft, medium — a bitter aperitif drink served over ice.
Structure	Bitter aperitif	Bitter aperitif
Family	Negroni	Negroni
Smells of	Citrus peel	Citrus peel
Technique	Building in the glassThe drink changes as you go: strongest at the first sip, longest and most diluted at the last. That drift is a feature of a long drink and a fault in a short one.	StirringA heavy, silky, completely clear drink. Alcohol reads more sharply than in the same drink shaken, because nothing has softened it.
Base spirit	gin	whisky
Strength	strong	strong
ABV	24%	28%
Calories	170 kcal	180 kcal
Sweetness	2/5	2/5
Sourness	0/5	0/5
Bitterness	5/5	4/5
Prep time	5 min	5 min
Difficulty	easy	medium
Equipment	Jigger, Bar spoon	Mixing glass, Bar spoon, Jigger
Occasions	aperitif, dinner, everyday	nightcap, dinner, aperitif
Alcohol-free option	No	No

Negroni

Choose the Negroni if you'd rather keep the calories down and you're short on time or new to cocktails.

Boulevardier

You like a classic whisky negroni.

Can you make both?

Both need: Campari, Sweet vermouth.

Only the Negroni: Gin
Only the Boulevardier: Bourbon

These are close enough that one extra purchase puts both within reach.

What actually separates them

base spirit
Negroni is built on gin, Boulevardier on whisky. If you only own one of the two, that settles it.
how it is made
Negroni is built, Boulevardier is stirred. That is not a detail — it changes dilution, texture and how cold the drink arrives.

Effectively identical on: sweetness, sourness, strength.