bijou_cocktail

Time for a Drink: Bijou Cocktail Recipe

[Photo: Robyn Lee]

Earlier this week, Rachel Maddow's appearance with Jimmy Fallon sent countless thirsty web-surfers Googling for the Bijou Cocktail. I consider this a public service on her part: the Bijou is one of those full-flavored cocktails that defined drinking in the late 19th century, with the kind of big, elaborate character that fell out of favor once vodka martinis and Bud Light came to dominate the bar.

The earliest listing I know of for the Bijou is in Harry Johnson's Bartender's Manual, which was first published in 1900. With equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and green Chartreuse, accompanied by a dash of orange bitters, the Bijou is bombastically herbaceous—too much so, some might say. If you find yourself fitting into this camp, there's no need to turn away from the Bijou; the recipe is easily updated for 21st-century palates by raising the amount of gin by a half ounce, and by rolling back the other two ingredients by the same amount. This will result in a somewhat drier, crisper drink with all the flavorful interplay of the original.

Whichever way you decide to play it, the Bijou is worth seeking out. Thanks to Rachel Maddow, this may just be the drink guests are talking about this weekend.

About the author: Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce London dry gin
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth
• 1 ounce green Chartreuse
• 1 dash orange bitters

Directions

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and fill with cracked ice. Stir well for 20 seconds and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Twist a piece of lemon peel over the drink and use as garnish.

* For a more modern version, use 1 1/2 ounces gin, 1/2 ounce vermouth, and 1/2 ounce Chartreuse.

Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.

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Bijou Cocktail

Nov 28, 2007

This is another turn-of-the-20th-century relative of the martini family, and it's a cocktail that real martini drinkers will enjoy. The Chartreuse harkens to a time when bartenders were adept at mixing Continental liqueurs with their gin.

This recipe exists in all the great 20th-century cocktail books, from Harry Johnson's "Bartender's Manual" (1900) to Patrick Gavin Duffy's "Official Mixer's Manual" (1934) to Crosby Gaige's "Standard Cocktail Guide" (1944). Always be sure to use green Chartreuse in this recipe.

Servings: 1

Ingredients

Directions

Fill a mixing glass two-thirds full of ice. Add the green Chartreuse, gin, sweet vermouth and orange bitters; stir vigorously. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry and a lemon twist.

Recipe Source

Adapted from "Imbibe!" by David Wondrich (Perigee Trade, 2007).

Tested by Michael Taylor.

Email questions to the Food Section at food@washpost.com.

Calories per serving: 228

Saturated Fat: 0g 0%

Cholesterol: 0mg 0%

Total Carbohydrates: 15g 5%

Dietary Fiber: 0g 0%

*Percent Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Total Fat: Less than 65g

Saturated Fat: Less than 20g

Cholesterol: Less than 300mg

Sodium: Less than 2,400mg

Total Carbohydrates: 300g

Dietary Fiber: 25g

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This Cocktail Was Once as Popular as the Martini. And Then It Disappeared.

It's called the Bijou, and it has emerged from decades-long hibernation.

In the cocktail renaissance of the last decade, many classics have been exhumed, polished, and updated for modern palates. Some have taken hold and are now as common on bar menus across the country as the gin-and-tonic. The Bijou is not one of them.

Which is a shame—the drink has a bright sweetness up front that soon gives way to a velvety mouthfeel and wonderfully complex bold herbal and bitter notes on the back end. The original 19 th -Century recipe for the Bijou—which calls for equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and green chartreuse (a sweet, herbal, and pungent liquor with a high alcohol content that has been produced for centuries by French monks), a dash of orange bitters, a twist of a lemon peel over the glass before discarding it, and a cherry—embodied a new direction for cocktails. "Beginning in the early 1880s, American bartenders, seeking to cater to a more sophisticated, cosmopolitan clientele, turned to vermouth and other European aperitifs, digestifs, and cordials to broaden the range of colors on their palettes," says David Wondrich, cocktail author, historian, and longtime Esquire contributor. "These proved to be the keystone that capped the structure of the classic mixologist's craft."

Fun Fact: Broadway's original Bijou Theater opened in 1880 on the site of what had been a bar run by perhaps the era's most well-known bartender, Jerry Thomas. It even used the layout of the bar as the basis for its design.

The Bijou had a decades-long run of popularity. But while its famous contemporaries, the Manhattan and the martini, continued to thrive post Prohibition, the Bijou—perhaps because it was never updated to reflect evolving tastes—faded into obscurity with only weathered cocktail-recipe books serving as proof it ever existed.

POLISHING OFF AN OLD JEWEL

While updating his bar menu at New York City's Rainbow Room in the 1980s, legendary bartender Dale DeGroff stumbled upon a recipe for the Bijou in Harry Johnson's Bartenders' Manual (1900).

While the green chartreuse provides the Bijou—which translates to "jewel" in French—with a boldness that is the drink's defining characteristic, the original specs were "too sweet and a bit overpowering," says DeGroff. "I wanted a drier and subtler drink that didn't bang me over the head with Chartreuse and vermouth—both complex powerful flavors on top of the complexity of the gin—it was all too much."

In the cocktail renaissance of the last decade, many classics have been exhumed, polished, and updated for modern palates. The Bijou is not one of them.

DeGroff decided to triple the ratio of gin to vermouth and chartreuse, which softened the taste profile. His updated take—part of his regular rotation for decades and now published in his book, The Essential Cocktail: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks (2008)— wasn't immediately embraced ("it was still a bit too esoteric," he thinks), but he liked its "complexity and flavor nuances." And eventually his recipe became the industry standard.

"I prefer Dale's recipe because I think our collective palate—or at least, my own—has become a bit drier and veers towards the more gin-forward," says Justin Lane Briggs, "Ambassador of Booze" for Skurnik Wines + Spirits. "The Chartreuse is such a powerful ingredient, it's in no danger of being washed away…and the vermouth still rounds the game out and brightens the drink up remarkably."

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz gin (preferably Plymouth)
• 0.5 oz sweet vermouth
• 0.5 oz green chartreuse
• 1 dash, orange bitters
• Lemon peel
• Cherry or olive for garnish

Instructions:

Add all the ingredients, except the lemon peel and garnish, to a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Twist the lemon peel over the glass to express the oils and discard. Garnish with the cherry or olive.

BIJOU VARIATION

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz gin (preferably Tanqueray)
• 1.5 oz sweet vermouth (preferably Martini and Rossi)
• 0.5 oz green chartreuse
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• 2 dashes Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters or Angostura Bitters
• 2 dashes Pernod Absinthe
• Orange peel, for garnish

Instructions:

Add all the ingredients except the garnish to a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Twist the orange peel over the glass to express the oils and discard.

THE TAILSPIN

Backstory: Although Tailspin recipes exist from as far back as the 1930s, they are exactly the same as the one for the original Bijou. This one, uncovered and popularized by Robert Hess, uses a Campari rinse. (Feel free to leave a bit of it in the glass.)

Ingredients:

• Campari rinse
• 1.5 oz gin (preferably Beefeater)
• 1 oz sweet vermouth (preferably Carpano Antica)
• 1 oz green chartreuse
• 1 dash orange bitters
• Lemon twist, for garnish

Instructions:

Rinse a coupe with Campari and discard, then stir the rest of the ingredients over ice and strain into the coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Bijou Cocktail

Directions

10 m

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice; add gin, sweet vermouth, Chartreuse, and orange bitters. Stir well. Strain into a chilled martini glass; garnish with lemon twist.

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This Cocktail Was Once as Popular as the Martini. And Then It Disappeared.

It's called the Bijou, and it has emerged from decades-long hibernation.

In the cocktail renaissance of the last decade, many classics have been exhumed, polished, and updated for modern palates. Some have taken hold and are now as common on bar menus across the country as the gin-and-tonic. The Bijou is not one of them.

Which is a shame—the drink has a bright sweetness up front that soon gives way to a velvety mouthfeel and wonderfully complex bold herbal and bitter notes on the back end. The original 19 th -Century recipe for the Bijou—which calls for equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and green chartreuse (a sweet, herbal, and pungent liquor with a high alcohol content that has been produced for centuries by French monks), a dash of orange bitters, a twist of a lemon peel over the glass before discarding it, and a cherry—embodied a new direction for cocktails. "Beginning in the early 1880s, American bartenders, seeking to cater to a more sophisticated, cosmopolitan clientele, turned to vermouth and other European aperitifs, digestifs, and cordials to broaden the range of colors on their palettes," says David Wondrich, cocktail author, historian, and longtime Esquire contributor. "These proved to be the keystone that capped the structure of the classic mixologist's craft."

Fun Fact: Broadway's original Bijou Theater opened in 1880 on the site of what had been a bar run by perhaps the era's most well-known bartender, Jerry Thomas. It even used the layout of the bar as the basis for its design.

The Bijou had a decades-long run of popularity. But while its famous contemporaries, the Manhattan and the martini, continued to thrive post Prohibition, the Bijou—perhaps because it was never updated to reflect evolving tastes—faded into obscurity with only weathered cocktail-recipe books serving as proof it ever existed.

POLISHING OFF AN OLD JEWEL

While updating his bar menu at New York City's Rainbow Room in the 1980s, legendary bartender Dale DeGroff stumbled upon a recipe for the Bijou in Harry Johnson's Bartenders' Manual (1900).

While the green chartreuse provides the Bijou—which translates to "jewel" in French—with a boldness that is the drink's defining characteristic, the original specs were "too sweet and a bit overpowering," says DeGroff. "I wanted a drier and subtler drink that didn't bang me over the head with Chartreuse and vermouth—both complex powerful flavors on top of the complexity of the gin—it was all too much."

In the cocktail renaissance of the last decade, many classics have been exhumed, polished, and updated for modern palates. The Bijou is not one of them.

DeGroff decided to triple the ratio of gin to vermouth and chartreuse, which softened the taste profile. His updated take—part of his regular rotation for decades and now published in his book, The Essential Cocktail: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks (2008)— wasn't immediately embraced ("it was still a bit too esoteric," he thinks), but he liked its "complexity and flavor nuances." And eventually his recipe became the industry standard.

"I prefer Dale's recipe because I think our collective palate—or at least, my own—has become a bit drier and veers towards the more gin-forward," says Justin Lane Briggs, "Ambassador of Booze" for Skurnik Wines + Spirits. "The Chartreuse is such a powerful ingredient, it's in no danger of being washed away…and the vermouth still rounds the game out and brightens the drink up remarkably."

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz gin (preferably Plymouth)
• 0.5 oz sweet vermouth
• 0.5 oz green chartreuse
• 1 dash, orange bitters
• Lemon peel
• Cherry or olive for garnish

Instructions:

Add all the ingredients, except the lemon peel and garnish, to a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Twist the lemon peel over the glass to express the oils and discard. Garnish with the cherry or olive.

BIJOU VARIATION

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz gin (preferably Tanqueray)
• 1.5 oz sweet vermouth (preferably Martini and Rossi)
• 0.5 oz green chartreuse
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• 2 dashes Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters or Angostura Bitters
• 2 dashes Pernod Absinthe
• Orange peel, for garnish

Instructions:

Add all the ingredients except the garnish to a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Twist the orange peel over the glass to express the oils and discard.

THE TAILSPIN

Backstory: Although Tailspin recipes exist from as far back as the 1930s, they are exactly the same as the one for the original Bijou. This one, uncovered and popularized by Robert Hess, uses a Campari rinse. (Feel free to leave a bit of it in the glass.)

Ingredients:

• Campari rinse
• 1.5 oz gin (preferably Beefeater)
• 1 oz sweet vermouth (preferably Carpano Antica)
• 1 oz green chartreuse
• 1 dash orange bitters
• Lemon twist, for garnish

Instructions:

Rinse a coupe with Campari and discard, then stir the rest of the ingredients over ice and strain into the coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Cold Glass

You can make these cocktails. Start right now.

The Bijou Cocktail

The combination of gin and dry vermouth is a natural, and it’s so well entrenched in our thinking, thanks to the Martini, that modern cocktails hardly ever pair gin with sweet vermouth.

It wasn’t always that way. Take, for example, the Bijou.

Bijou is one of our oldest cocktails. (The earliest mention of Bijou that I know is Harry Johnson’s 1882 Bartender’s Manual .) Its combination of gin, sweet vermouth, and Chartreuse is a classic mini-lesson in late nineteenth-century cocktailing.

Commercial vermouth was a relatively new product to American barmen in the 1870s and 1880s, and they were eager to see what they could make of it. At the time, “vermouth” meant sweet vermouth—dry vermouth wasn’t available until the 1890s. There were plenty of successful experiments, notably the Manhattan, the Martinez, and the Bijou.

The Bijou Cocktail

Chartreuse already had been available since mid-century, but apparently was not used much. Jerry Thomas mentions it once in his 1862 Bartenders Guide , as a component of the “Parisian Pousse Café,” but it seems to have taken a couple more decades for it to become a proper ingredient in cocktails. (Thomas seems to be completely unaware of vermouth as an ingredient for mixed drinks in his 1862 edition.)

• 1 oz gin (Plymouth, Tanqueray)
• 1 oz sweet vermouth (Dolin Rouge)
• 1 oz Green Chartreuse

Stir all ingredients with ice until very cold; strain into a chilled cocktail stem. Garnish with a cherry. Express lemon over the drink; optionally, add the lemon twist into the glass.

Gin: Johnson recommends Plymouth gin in his original listing, and it is a very good choice. The Plymouth seems to blend with Chartreuse better than the more juniper-forward London Dry style gins like Bombay, Beefeater or Tanqueray.

Vermouth: The Bijou is an excellent opportunity to use the vanilla-dominated Carpano Antica vermouth. Carpano’s lush sweetness makes a nice counterpart to the aggressive herbal nature of the Chartreuse. Dolin is also a fine choice—the light fruitiness of the Dolin Rouge is another way to blend well with the gin and Chartreuse. On the other hand, my standard sweet vermouth, M&R Rosso, doesn’t seem to be such a good friend of the Bijou; its more bitter earthiness leans in the wrong direction for this mix.

Garnish: Johnson suggests that you garnish the Bijou with a “cherry or medium sized olive.” Against my better judgment, I tried the olive. I won’t do that again. In fact, I’m partial to just the expressed lemon oils.

The combination of gin and sweet vermouth isn’t to everyone’s taste; for that matter, Chartreuse itself can be an acquired taste, so the Bijou isn’t on everyone’s favorites list. But if you like to experiment, or if you’re looking for a cocktail with bigger flavors than you’ll typically encounter, the classic Bijou is an excellent place to start.

“The Bijou Cocktail” at cold-glass.com : All text and photos © 2013 Douglas M. Ford. All rights reserved.

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Doug Ford

I am a journalist and photographer. Once upon a time I had a corporate job; now I don't, which is a pretty happy situation, all in all. People tell me I'm writing a book.

9 thoughts on “ The Bijou Cocktail ”

Reblogged this on thegentlemansapprentice and commented:

An excellent classic

Might be my favorite drink with green Chartreuse. Well, maybe tied with the Albert Mathieu. Or the Last Word. I love Chartreuse.

As an aside, where do you find your glassware? This one’s a beaut.

I have never had the Albert Mathieu; I’ll look forward to trying it. Thanks for drawing my attention to it.

The glass in the Bijou photo is something I found in a local antique shop. I don’t know where or when it was made, alas!

What a wonderful cocktail this was. Perfect balance. We used M&R and thought it worked really great, but will try other vermouths with this to see which we like best.

Glad you liked it, Chuck, thanks!

I have been a bit sceptical about this one for some time, but kept coming back to look at it. I mean, green chartreuse, red vermouth? And in equal quantities? Sounded like the interior of a cheap Chinese restaurant! Finally tonight, I stepped up to it. What an unexpected pleasure! The vermouth (Dolin Rouge) totally balanced the amer of the Chartreuse, leaving a very pleasant sweet spiciness that makes this a quite delicious aperitif, somewhat in the French style. This definitely goes on my regular list.

I was skeptical when I first encountered this one, too, and for the same reasons. Chartreuse is an acquired taste, and the gin and sweet vermouth combination isn’t to everyone’s liking. (Just ask my bride.)

I’m glad you tried it with the Dolin, that makes a delightful combination. Glad you enjoyed it!

I discovered the Bijou through your website, and it has since become one of my favorites. It feels like a magic trick, conjuring the tastiest cocktail out of three equal parts that don’t make any sense on paper.

For a variation that is softer on both the palette and the wallet, try swapping out the chartreuse with Genepy Des Alpes.

I agree, it is a strange-looking recipe on paper, but it works.

I don’t think I’ve encountered Genepy des Alpes, I’ll put it on my list of things to learn about.

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Bijou Cocktail

Some seem to think the Bijou cocktail should be a layered drink, but it isn’t. The Bijou (meaning jewel in French) cocktail was reportedly invented by Harry Johnson in the 1890’s. The oldest recipe I have comes from his 1900 “New And Improved Bartenders Manual”, where the instructions clearly state “mix well with a spoon and serve.” I can understand why somebody might think the layered presentation would be more appropriate, but it was not the way this drink was originally intended to be served. In a previous episode, you saw Dale DeGroff’s take on this the Ritz Bijou.

Ingredients

1 ounce Beefeater gin

1 ounce Chartreuse

1 ounce sweet vermouth

1 dash orange bitters

Instructions

Stir ingredients with ice.

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with lemon twist and a cherry.

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Interestingly enough, I am currently watching a Japanese anime series entitled “Bartender” and the last episode featured the Bijou. The bartender created it pousse-cafe style, but then stirred the ingredients to create what he called an “Amber Dream”. Amber of course, is another type of jewel.

Somebody else had mentioned to me that they thought the “right” way to make the Bijou was pousse cafe style. So I looked back through all of my material, and it clearly was originally a mixed cocktail as I do it here. And it’s hard for me to understand how a pousse cafe drink would properly include a dash of bitters. So I think this is just somebodies interpretation on the Bijou instead of how it was originally concieved.

BTW… where did you get your copy of the Bartender? I’ve only found one website that sells it, I ordered a copy, which never arrived, and countless emails to them to rectify the problem have gone unanswered.

Here are a few sources for the Bartender DVD set.

There are plans to turn the anime series into a live action show next year.

I know the recipe normally calls for green Chartreuse ( emerald), howvere those who may shy from its pungency may enjoy yellow chartreuse in place (call it topaz)

I have that cocktail on my menu!

When I was Barback, the head bartender, taught me this recipe.

My first job in a bar was in a golf club, so were preparing several, old drinks.

Thanks for spreading the good cocktail always Mr. Robert.

Greetings from Argentina.

Bijou cocktail recipe, is present in many South American books, the first half of the 20.

El cocktelero argentino(1921) by Sociedad de Cockteleros

Manual del barman (1924) by Antonio Fernandez

the book of Antonio, says that the cocktail is 3 gems.

Emerald (green Chartreuse)

Ruby (vermouth torino)

Antonio was the first bartender to found a school in my country

Looks tasty! I’ve been making Last Words lately, and this looks like something sort of out of the same genre, with the gin and green chartreuse - the aromatics should be very nice. Think I’ll fire-up a batch this evening.

Robert, can you give any information about the cool little glass mixing pitcher? I’d like to get one of those…

The mixing glass I am using here is the “Yarai Mixing Glass” from Cocktail Kingdom. Here is a direct link to it:

Thanks for the link, Robert.

One of my all time favorite cocktails, although I prefer it with 1.5 oz gin and 0.75 oz Chartreuse and sweet vermouth. Haven’t tried it with bitters though, perhaps that will dry the drink out a bit as well.

If anyone is interested in the anime or manga for Bartender these links with sastify your curiosity:

Since I mentioned in the video that this drink appears to have been invented by Harry Johnson, and it first appeared in his bartenders guide, I thought I’d share the recipe with you from his 1900 bar guide (reprints available via CocktailKingdom.com).

(se a large bar glass.)

3/4 glass filled with fine shaved ice;

1/3 wine glass chartreuse (green);

1/3 wine glass vermouth (Italian);

1/3 wine glass of Plymouth gin;

1 dash of orange bitters.

Mix well with a spoon, strain into a cocktail glass; add a cherry or medium-sized olive, squeeze a piece of lemon peel on top and serve.

Thanks for this. I tried it yesterday, and it instantly moved onto my all-time favorites list.

I wonder if this could be the direct ancestor of the Negroni. It seems a short and obvious step to substitute Campari for the chartreuse; much more direct a path than from the Americano. Indeed, if it is the Negroni’s forebear, I would only wonder what took so long.

The anime series of bartender isn’t so good, try out the manga, its very approachable and I believe a must read for ALL bartenders.

Check it out on StopTazmo.com Its free to download or just read online

I just tried this one and really like it. There are some almost savory or beefy notes to it along with the spice components from both the chartreuse and bitters. A very interesting cocktail and one I am sure to share.

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Bijou cocktail

* 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth

* 3/4 ounce green Chartreuse

* 1 dash orange bitters

Combine ingredients in an ice-filled mixing glass and stir until cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and lemon zest.

Looking at a recipe that includes equal parts gin and Chartreuse, “herbal” is the first word to come to mind. While the Bijou traditionally uses equal parts of the first three ingredients, I tempered the Chartreuse by uping the gin to a full ounce. If you think this might still be a little much for your tastes, use an ounce of gin and start with 1/2 ounce Chartreuse, tasting it after mixing and adding the final 1/4 ounce only if you want that extra bit.

For a bit of extra complexity, cut a wide piece of lemon zest and squeeze the oils over the surface of the glass before serving. The lemon compliments the other flavors in a really nice way.

Posted by Kenn in Cocktail Recipes on March 7th, 2010

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Comments 5 Comments So Far

What kind of gin do you usually use for this one? Plymouth? I tried it tonight, but decided to use the Ransom Old Tom; pretty good.

This was my first time making the Bijou, so I went with Beefeater, the only gin I have on hand at the moment. Ransom Old Tom is on my shopping list, I’ll try one with that next time.

Carpano Antica gives a great balance to the Bijou. At least with Plymouth gin and a wide orange zest.

I love this cocktail! I usually use Voyager Gin. It’s created just outside of Seattle by Pacific Distillery (who also makes Pacifique Absinthe). Great stuff!

Tried it with the original recipe as the bitters book suggested. Used Carpano Antica as Karel did. Was delicious.

Bijou cocktail

Jewel (Bijou) Cocktail

I’m constantly on the lookout for interesting glassware to use in my cocktail posts. One of my favorite weekend activities is hunting for new props (food/drink bloggers, you know what I’m talking about). Sounds like fun, right? Wait, don’t answer that. From the retail chains to the local boutiques, the thrift stores to the antique shops; it’s all one big adventure! Lately I’ve been all about the estate sales. I’m not talking a random estate sale that you happen drive by and stop to check out. But rather, on the email list and waking up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday to stand in line an hour before it opens kinda estate sale. Sometimes I feel almost like I’m on a reality show. Any agents out there? Recently at an estate sale (one time . . . at band camp) I picked up this lovely little crystal glass, along with an old 5th edition (1941) copy of the Old Mr. Boston cocktail book. I decided to celebrate with a cocktail straight from the book. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get a Chartreuse cocktail on the blog. While here in the Old Mr. Boston guide it’s referred to as the Jewel, this cocktail actually dates back to the late 1890’s where it was, and often still is, called the Bijou, French for jewel. Supposedly, the name jewel is meant to reference diamond, ruby and emerald as gin, vermouth, and chartreuse. Don’t let the similarity to a Negroni fool you. It’s much sweeter, more vegetal, and has some serious bite. But hey, it’s not every day you get the chance to sip a 120 year old cocktail, right?!

JEWEL (BIJOU) COCKTAIL

Ingredients:

• 3/4 oz gin
• 3/4 oz sweet vermouth
• 3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
• dash of orange bitters

Directions:

• Add all the ingredients into a mixing glass full of ice and stir for 30 seconds.
• Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a brandied cherry.

(images by HonestlyYUM)

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Oh my, this drink is full of my favorite spirits! I’m so intrigued, and what a great name (especially the French one). Loving the story of how this post came to be, and these cozy photos. Mmm…

Thank you Alanna!! I LOVE how these are your favorite spirits. Let’s meet up for a cocktail sometime to discuss 0:)

Todd, love this! Thanks!

Thank you Francisca 🙂

Yet another stunning photos! Todd, you’re totally right in you describing of great weekends for a cocktail blogger – hunting of glassware, of course. A couple of hours on some flea market are one of the best activity for my Sat 8)

But I don’t understand some words about Jewel (absolutely awesome libation, though) – it has a serious bite but Negroni don’t or not so serious? Or I’ve understood you in a bad way? You see, a lot of people think that Negroni is a real challenge 😉 Not pro, but…

Thank you for the compliments, Pavel. I suppose you’re right about the Negroni. They can definitely be a challenge. Especially to those who don’t prefer like bitter flavors. The Jewel is less bitter and more sweet, however has a higher alcohol content with the use of Chartreuse over Campari.

If you are ever in Napa Valley in California (it’s beautiful, and I mean green vineyards, blue sky beautiful) you should check out Napa Valley Distillery’s bar shop in the Oxbow Public Market right near downtown Napa. They’ve got great glassware, quite like the one you have up there! Cheers.

Bijou Cocktail (Difford's recipe)

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How to make:

STIR all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass.

Lemon zest twist (discarded) & Luxardo Maraschino cherry

It is not uncommon to see this drink stipulated with equal parts gin, Chartreuse and sweet vermouth, as called for in Harry Johnson's Bartender’s Manual. In fact that's the norm. Equal parts works, but it makes for a drink strong enough to drop a rhinoceros with Chartreuse overly dominant (and I love Chartreuse).

Recipe adapted from Harry Johnson's 1900 Bartender’s Manual which calls for “1/3 wine glass Chartreuse (green); 1/3 wine glass vermouth (Italian); 1/3 wine glass of Plymouth gin; 1 dash orange bitters”.

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SHAKE all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass.

Next Cocktail

SHAKE all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass.

How to strain a cocktail

When straining a shaken drink, a Hawthorn strainer tends to be used, but when straining a stirred drink it is traditional to use a Julep strainer. Both designs of strainer allow.

Stirrers & How to stir a cocktail

Stirring is the most basic way of mixing a cocktail. You might not give much thought to a technique used to stir a cup of tea or even a pot of paint, but cocktails deserve a little.

Vermouth is a fortified wine, part of the ‘aromatised’ wine family, flavoured with aromatic herbs and spices. It is distinguished from other aromatised wines due to its being.

Bitters are alcoholic beverages prepared with herbs, spices, roots, fruits and peels infused in alcohol or glycerin. Popular ingredients include gentian, quinine and orange peel.

Punch - Expert tips on how to make and serve

Consisting of a spirit or spirits (mostly rum), citrus, sugar, water and spice, punch was enjoyed by Charles Dickens, America’s founding fathers, pirates

1980s Cocktails

There’s no glossing over it, the 1980s were grim for cocktail culture. Bar owners opted for mechanical solutions to a bartending skills deficit. Rather

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