The Messaline

This was the result of a journey to find the perfect Boulevardier: in Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco; in Denver; in my own home. Countless attempts, countless ratios. But it was a bar in the West Village that pushed things in the right direction — the bartender altered the ratio from 1:1:1 to 2:1:1. We were on to something.

A few more months of tinkering, and a bartender in D.C. suggested the addition of bitters. All it needed was a name.

A Swiss friend of mine suggested “Messaline” as the feminine complement to a Boulevardier. Valeria Messalina was the third wife of Emperor Claudius, portrayed by historians as powerful and promiscuous. In modern French, une messaline is a woman who is self-assured and liberated.

The Recipe

• 2 parts rye whisky
• 0.5 part sweet vermouth
• 0.5 part Campari
• Bitters (3 dashes)

Combine the ingredients and shake until well chilled. Pour over a large single ice cube in a low rocks glass. Express with a lemon peel. Serve.