Alton Brown's Favorite Cocktail Combines 3 Strong Liquors

With such an extensive range of styles, cocktails are fit for every mood. Their strong character and defined palate creates a personal nature, creating well-known affiliations with celebrities. For instance, Bourdain disliked all the ingredients in his favorite cocktail, but his love for the negroni is well-known. Meanwhile, Hemingway's adoration for the daiquiri is the stuff of lore. And when it comes to beloved Food Network star Alton Brown, his tipple of choice is the Boulevardier.

The drink is similar to a negroni, keeping the vermouth and Campari, while swapping out the gin for bourbon. Alton Brown's known to be a big fan of whiskeys — especially rye — so he often crafts a riff with his favorite spirit instead. The cocktail is a great vessel for the liquor, showing some of the spirit's characteristic spice, but balanced out with the bitter and herbal notes of the complementing ingredients. So to see why the drink is Brown's go-to, craft a rye boulevardier yourself.

Although overshadowed by its Italian cousin, the Boulevardier is a historic sling — it was first mentioned in a 1927 text. It remained under the radar until the 21st century, when the widespread love for Negronis made bartenders rediscover this similar riff. The original recipe calls for equal parts bourbon with vermouth and Campari, a ratio skew that's now been adjusted for the modern palate.

Today's drinkers are typically after a more bolder, spirit-forward creation, letting the flavor quality of spirits shine. So, the bourbon ratio has become more dominant in the creation, but even still, many bartenders find it too sweet. After all, one of the main differences between bourbon and whiskey is the flavor, and bourbon's inclusion of corn affects the mix.

Alton Brown's penchant for a Boulevardier with rye is more than a personalized quirk. It's actually quite in line with the modern day evolution of the drink. And just like you can't have a perfect Negroni without a bold gin choice, the same theory applies to the employed spice-forward rye. Since the T.V. star has a formidably high quality collection, you'll want to reach for a high quality bottle to replicate his rendition.