Bijou

This pre-Prohibition cocktail is a mixture of gin, sweet vermouth, and green Chartreuse—like a Negroni that took an abrupt turn two-thirds of the way through. The recipe originally called for an equal-parts mix of the three ingredients (plus a couple dashes of orange bitters), proportions that modern palates tend to find cloying. A more contemporary version of the recipe amps up the gin and lowers the green Chartreuse, rendering a more balanced drink.

The cocktail is attributed to bartender Harry Johnson, who included the recipe in the 1900 edition of his Bartender’s Manual and is said to have named it for the jewel tones of its component ingredients (“bijou” is French for “jewel”).

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces gin
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth
• 3/4 ounce green Chartreuse
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• Garnish: 1 maraschino cherry (optional)

Steps

1. Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora or coupe glass.
3. Garnish with a maraschino cherry, if desired.