• 50mL gin
• 30mL sweet red vermouth
• 20mL green Chartreuse
• 1 dash orange bitters

Stir over ice until chilled and pour into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

bijou noun

bi·​jou | \ ˈbē-ˌzhü \ plural bijous or bijoux\ ˈbē-​ˌzhü(z) \

1 : a small dainty usually ornamental piece of delicate workmanship : jewel

2 : something delicate, elegant, or highly prized

(from Merriam-Webster)

The Bijou feels like one of the drinks that is never not fancier than you are. I could be dressed in white tie, in a tuxedo jacket with tails, and I would feel under-dressed to drink a Bijou. So naturally, as I write this, I’m sitting here in a pair of board shirts and a Hawaiian shirt sipping on one. Hey, might as well own being under-dressed.

In similar fashion, you get to feel extra fancy going to a bar and ordering this drink. What I love about it, is that for all it’s elegance, it’s so simple to make. It’s one of those classic pre-Prohibition cocktails that has many different recipes depending on who you ask. It could come in equal-parts, it could come with a dash of Campari. But in any case, it’s boozy as all get out and will definitely get you Fancy Drunk™.

This is the sugar and spice and everything wasted of beverages. Between the gin, the vermouth, and the Chartreuse, there is nothing non-alcoholic in this beverage (and the green Chartreuse comes in at a delectable 55% ABV). If I may quote the Difford’s Guide for a moment: “Equal parts works, but it makes for a drink strong enough to drop a rhinoceros.”

But before I get too lost in it’s intoxicating delights, let me also praise the delightful flavors in this particular concoction. The spicy and bitter flavors of the Chartreuse mix so nicely with the sweetness of good vermouth (I use either Carpano Antica or Mancino, depending on my mood). This is also a great drink for playing with gins. The Chartreuse will accent the herbal qualities of the gin you are using, so play around! Try different gin profiles with this and see what you like.

There’s much to be enjoyed by this cocktail, and great fun to be had in playing around with the spec. One time, I mistakenly used Peychaud’s bitters instead of orange bitters in this recipe. And while it was definitely intense, it was also quite delicious. It makes me wonder if this drink would go well with an absinthe-rinsed glass. I might just have to give that a try. In the mean time, enjoy, and I’ll let you know how it goes.