A Banana Chocolate Cynar Boulevardier

Put Cynar in everything, a continuing series.

Sometimes you just have to do it. 

You have an idea for a cocktail. You have the ingredients. You have a free evening. You have no real choice in the matter. Once it has been imagined, it must be summoned into the world. 

So let me present: The Banana Chocolate Cynar Boulevardier. 

This is not my favorite cocktail, but it is arguably the apotheosis of my various obsessions. Built on a base of — what else? — Rittenhouse rye, it’s a Cynar-ized, bananafied, stirred-and-boozy concoction with a hint of chocolate spice thanks to the inclusion of Bittermens Mole Bitters. 

At heart, this is just a slightly modified version of Sam Ross’ minor classic, the Left Hand, which is really just a Boulevardier served up and with the addition of chocolate bitters. You could also perhaps see it as a gussied-up riff on Joaquin Simo’s version of the Boulevardier. Or maybe just another banana Boulevardier. 

All of those call for Campari rather than Cynar in the bitter liqueur slot, but, well, I’m the guy who puts Cynar in everything. I’m also someone who has, perhaps quixotically, been pushing banana liqueur cocktails on readers of this newsletter for over a year now. And one of the earliest posts on this Substack was a brief note about Bittrmens Mole Bitters, a bottle that since has gone on to appear in several drinks. 

As it turns out, these things all work pretty well together. 

In the end, you have to accept who you are.  

Since this drink is kind of funny and idiosyncratic and also tastes of bananas, I’ll call it:

Fielding Mellish

• 4 drops Bittermens Mole Bitters

• 1 tsp banana liqueur (Giffard Banane du Bresil)

• ¾ ounce Cynar

• ¾ ounce Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth

• 1 ½ ounce Rittenhouse rye

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass.

2. Add ice, then stir until thoroughly chilled and diluted, about 15-20 seconds. 

3. Strain into a coupe or Nick & Nora glass. 

4. Garnish with an orange peel. 

***