Bijou
Ingredients:
1oz Gin
1oz Green Chartreuse
1oz Sweet Vermouth
1 Dash Orange Bitters
Luxardo Cherry
Lemon Twist
Instructions:
Add all liquids to a mixing glass. Add ice and stir. Serve up in a chilled glass. Garnish with the lemon twist and cherry.
Notes:
The spirits mix well and have a sort of synergistic flavor, not particularly sweet or dry, this one is semisweet citrus and herbal on the nose, with a complex flavor on the tongue with hints of raisins, juniper and anise, the finish starts smooth and ends with a bitter herbal note.
History:
Another pre-prohibition cocktail, this one originated in the late 1800s, with the first known reference sited as Harry Johnson’s “Bartender’s Manual.” The Bijou takes it’s name from the ingredients, Diamond (Gin), Emerald (Chartreuse) and Ruby (Sweet Vermouth).
Variations:
Throw in a bar spoon of luxardo to sweeten the taste and give more of an herbal tainted Martinez flavor. Additionally swap the sweet vermouth for dolin blanc (white sweet vermouth) for a totally different taste. Some folks increase the Gin to 1.5oz and cut the others back to .75oz for a heavier taste. Alternatively, you could bring the Gin up to 2oz and scale back the others to 0.5oz to make the Bijou more like a Martini.
The Straight Up 
One Response to “Bijou”
[…] parts gin, dry vermouth and Benedictine and no bitters. Sounds almost like a “white” Bijou. Unfortunately, with equal parts, Poet’s Dream is a bit to sweet for my taste. Plus bitters […]