Rhubarb Boulevardier Cocktail

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.)