Bijou
The forgotten three-jewel cocktail
About this cocktail
The Bijou ('jewel' in French) was popularized by Harry Johnson's Bartender's Manual in 1900. Each of its three ingredients was named for a different precious stone: gin for diamond, sweet vermouth for ruby, and green Chartreuse for emerald. Equal parts of all three. The Chartreuse is the wildcard, made by French monks since 1764 with 130 botanicals at 55% ABV. It commands the cocktail unless you treat it carefully. As a freezer batch, the cold tames the Chartreuse's heat and lets the gin and vermouth come forward. A dash of orange bitters at serve ties the three together.
Pick a cocktail to batch
Shaken citrus drinks pick up more water from ice. Spirit-forward stirred drinks need less; freezer batches often need none.
Your Batch
Aim for around 22% ABV or higher to keep the batch pourable in the freezer.
Remove this much spirit to make room. Save it for later.
How to serve
Pour into a chilled coupe. Add a dash of orange bitters. Garnish with a lemon twist or a brandied cherry.
★ Pro tips
- + Green Chartreuse only. Yellow is sweeter and less herbal, a fundamentally different cocktail
- + Older recipes used a 1:1:1/3 ratio (less Chartreuse). Try the equal-parts version first, then dial back if you find it too vegetal
- + Stir the bottle well after freezing; the Chartreuse can settle slightly
- + Garnish with a lemon twist or a brandied cherry
! Avoid these
- − Substituting yellow Chartreuse to soften the herbal punch
- − Skipping the orange bitters at serve (the cocktail loses its lift)
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