Bijou
COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS:
- 45 ml London Dry Gin
(Preferably higher-proof 45-50%)
- 30 ml Sweet Vermouth
- 22,5 ml Green Chartreuse
- 2 Dashes of Orange Bitters
GARNISH:
- Orange Twist
INSTRUCTIONS:
• Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing glass.
• Add ice and stir for 20-25 sec.
• Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
• Garnish with an orange twist.
Cocktail author: classic cocktail created around the turn of the XX century.
Bijou is a century old cocktail strongly inspired by the classic Negroni. However, with a single change, it manages to take this beloved template into a completely different direction.
Base of the cocktail is formed by juniper forward London dry gin along with notes of coriander and subtle citrus. Sweet vermouth brings notes of cacao and rich taste of dried fruits forming the second part of The Negroni triade. But here is where the similarities between Bijou and Negroni end. Instead of the signature bitter-sweet orange taste of Campari, sweet complex herbaceousness of Green Chartreuse is subbed in. Since Chartreuse packs quite a punch proportions of the cocktail have to be tweaked bringing the spirit up to dry the cocktail out a bit, and turning the sweet component of the liqueur down just a touch. Final touches are added by the orange bitters, gently spicing the cocktail up and binding the individual components together.
All in all, Bijou like its predecessor become a classic cocktail in itself, perfectly capturing the atmosphere at the turn of the XX century. It is a recipe every true cocktail enthusiast must try.