Paulius Musteikis
Every cocktail has a story. The tale behind the Bandito Boulevard, like the flavor profile of the drink itself, is bold and idiosyncratic. Conceptually, the drink really started as a Negroni. Substitute whiskey for the gin, and you have a cocktail called a Boulevardier, which is traditionally two parts rye to one part Campari and one part sweet vermouth. Credited as the creation of a French bartender in the 1920s, the Boulevardier has endless variations. Many of them rely on citrusy bitters or sweeter syrups to smooth out the spirits.
The version at Sujeo, 10 N. Livingston St., accomplishes much the same thing by using Ancho Reyes chile liqueur in place of the vermouth. It’s a successful choice, because even in the presence of whiskey, Campari can be an overbearing ingredient.
The chile liqueur stands up to both of its siblings with a nice mellow heat, and the homemade chocolate bitters complements it nicely.
Despite the fact that it’s built around the smoky and chocolatey Mexican chili pepper, the Bandito Boulevard goes well with Sujeo’s Asian food. In fact, the staff recommends pairing the moderately spicy cocktail with an extremely spicy Thai chili dish like the lamb belly pad ka prow. But if you don’t feel like balancing heat with heat, enjoy the drink on its own. It definitely speaks for itself.
