Bijou Cocktail recipe
1½ oz. gin
¾ oz. Sweet Vermouth
¾ oz. Green Chartreuse
2 dashes of orange bitters
Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.
Aaron’s note: Originally an equal parts recipe— while I respect the beauty of an easy to remember Bijou Cocktail recipe like that, the Green Chartreuse in Harry Johnson’s and other equal parts recipe is overwhelming.
Gin recommendations
Harry Johnson recommended Plymouth Gin in his 1900 version of the Bijou Cocktail— and I’m hard pressed to find a better gin. Punchy juniper is needed to break through the bold co-starring ingredients.
History of the Bijou Cocktail
Harry Johnson’s Bartender’s Manual (1900). The cocktail did not appear in earlier versions of the manual, suggesting a turn-of-the-century origin.
