on the boulevard

1 oz Bourbon (Weller 107)
1 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Crème de Cassis
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Saturdays ago, we began the cocktail hour with the On The Boulevard recipe from the online supplement to the current issue of Imbibe Magazine. The recipe was crafted by Lynn House of Chicago's Blackbird, and I was drawn to it for it reminded me of a Bourbon-containing variation of the quirky Teresa from Gary Regan's The Joy of Mixology. For a whiskey, I opted for Old Weller Antique for I figured that the recipe could use something punchier and overproof.
The lemon oils from the twist supplemented the cassis' berry aroma and hint of Bourbon. The lemon notes continued on into the sip along with a fruitiness from the Aperol and currant liqueur. Finally the swallow offered the richness of the Bourbon that transitioned well into the cassis' tartness. Overall, the On The Boulevard was not as cassis forward as I had first expected and was reasonably well balanced.