Man About Town
A rye-forward Boulevardier variation from Gramercy Tavern, swapping Campari for Cynar. Spicy, bittersweet, and elegantly stirred.
Ingredients
- 2 ozRye whiskey
- 1 ozCynar
- 1 ozSweet vermouth
Method
- 1Add rye, Cynar, and sweet vermouth to a mixing glass with ice
- 2Stir until very cold, about 15–30 seconds
- 3Strain into a chilled coupe glass
- 4Garnish with a brandied cherry
Bar tools
- Mixing glass
- Barspoon
- Hawthorne strainer
- Glassware
- Coupe glass
- Method
- stir
- Makes
- 1 drink
- Garnish
- Brandied cherry
I came across this drink in the early days of both mixing drinks at home and discovering that "amaro" was a whole category of liqueurs — one that contained several bottles I'd already found and liked on their own, Cynar among them. I was already a fan of Negronis and Boulevardiers, and the Man About Town felt like the next logical stepping stone: swap Campari for Cynar to go from Boulevardier to Man About Town, the same way swapping gin for bourbon turns a Negroni into a Boulevardier.
The family tree
| Drink | Spirit | Bitter/amaro | Vermouth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negroni | Gin | Campari | Sweet |
| Boulevardier | Bourbon (or rye) | Campari | Sweet |
| Man About Town | Rye | Cynar | Sweet |
Cynar brings an earthy, artichoke-tinged bitterness that's gentler and more herbal than Campari's bright orange punch — a natural fit for spicy rye.
Notes
- Gramercy Tavern's spec leans rye-heavy at 2:1:1; Rittenhouse is a classic choice.
- You could serve this in any up glass, but a coupe is a particularly good choice.
- If you like this template, try an Old Pal (dry vermouth + Campari) or a Boulevardier for the bourbon-and-Campari baseline.
Source: Gramercy Tavern, apparently