High West Barreled Boulevardier

Barrel aged cocktail.

Grab your skis and head to Quitting Time Ski Run in Park City, High West Distillery & Saloon. Founded in 2006 by David and Jane Perkins, High West is not only the first distillery in Utah since Prohibition, it is the only ski-in gastro-distillery in the world! High West is also pretty damn important because in 1933 Utah was the crucial 36th state to clinch the vote against the 18th amendment and finally end Prohibition. Cheers to these heroes.

Perkins called High West a saloon because he wanted to pay homage to the history of “saloons in the old West and the important role they played in each and every town that had one. The saloon was the main meeting place where town hall was held, important announcements were made, and people went to eat and drink. We want people to share that sense of community and friendship over High West.”

This barrel aged cocktail is a tip of the hat to all tipplers in a top hats. Literally speaking, a Boulevardier was a wealthy and fashionable man who had knowledge of advanced cultural pursuits and frequented Parisian boulevards, New York City and other cosmopolitan cities.

Erskine Gwynne, the creator of the Boulevardier Cocktail, moved to Paris and began his magazine The Boulevardier, catering to the bourgeoisie expatriate. With literary dignitaries (superstars) like Hemingway, Joyce, Sinclair Lewis, and Thomas Wolfe contributing to his monthly piece.

A Boulevardier cocktail is drink mixed with 2 Parts American Whiskey, 1 part sweet Vermouth, and 1 part Campari. The High West’s Barreled Boulevardier is a mix of 6 YO Bourbon with sweet Vermouth and Gran Classico, a bitter Amaro from Switzerland.

The famous cocktail mixture is then aged in American oak Bourbon barrels “where it rests until it reaches perfection.”