Last Updated on November 29, 2021 by Heather Wibbels
When you can’t decide between a dessert and a drink, build (or batch) this Banana Split Boulevardier as the answer to both. I had made some great infusions and just a touch of each. For a standard boulevardier you combine bourbon, sweet vermouth and Campari. But for this gem I used banana-infused bourbon, strawberry-infused Campari and chocolate-infused sweet vermouth. As you can see from the photos, it was a delicious hot mess.
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What’s in a Boulevardier?
A classic Boulevardier is a riff on the Negroni. It simply substitutes bourbon for gin, leave the cocktail with a combination of bourbon, sweet vermouth, and Campari. For more information on how to make the Perfect Boulevardier, head here.
I came up with the recipe when I realized I had three infused elements that together might make a wonderful riff on the classic, but indulge in a sweet, more decadent tone. I had just infused some bourbon with banana and had a bit of cacao-infused sweet vermouth and a bit of strawberry-infused Campari.
What You’ll Need to Make this Banana Split Boulevardier
You absolutely can make this Banana Boulevardier with just banana-infused bourbon. But adding in that hint of berry and chocolate to the cocktail makes it a sweet serve.
Just to reiterate: if you do not like sweet cocktails, you won’t enjoy this one.
How to Garnish the Banana Boulevardier
I admit I came up with this idea when I was in the middle of a boring meeting. So I thought of using a sliced banana, whipped cream, and a drizzle of chocolate syrup to top it. I was correct. While it is more difficult to eat with the banana on top of it, I simply had a straw that let me sip the cocktail while I nibbled on the bananas and whipped cream.
I did use coconut whipped cream since dairy disagrees with me somedays. If you have it, use the coconut over plain dairy whipped cream. It’s about ten times better.
How to Infuse your Elements for the Banana Split Boulevardier
I have articles on how to infuse Campari and how to infuse whiskey. You’ll infuse the sweet vermouth in the same way, just adding raw cacao nibs to sweet vermouth for a few days. All these should be strained well.
Recommended Bar Tools
You don’t need every slick, beautiful bar tool out there, but there are several I’ll recommend. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, that does not affect the cost of the items below.) My favorite pieces usually come from the Cocktail Kingdom section of Amazon:
You may already have these bar essentials, but just in case:
Banana Split Boulevardier
Ingredients
- 1 oz banana-infused bourbon
- 1 oz cacao-infused sweet vermouth
- 1 oz strawberry-infused Campari
- Garnish: sliced banana, whipped cream, chocolate drizzle
Instructions
- Add the spirits to a mixing glass and add ice. Stir until well chilled, about 20 seconds.
- Strain into a rocks glass with one large cube.
- Garnish with a split banana, whipped cream, sliced strawberries and a chocolate drizzle.
