Bijou

The Bijou is an elegant pre-Prohibition cocktail that represents the "improved" cocktail era's sophistication and the golden age of vermouth cocktails. Created in the 1880s-90s (appearing in Harry Johnson's 1900 "Bartenders' Manual"), the Bijou combines gin, green Chartreuse, sweet vermouth, and orange bitters in equal or near-equal proportions, stirred and served up in a coupe glass with a lemon twist or cherry garnish. The name "Bijou" (French for "jewel") refers to the drink's jewel-toned colors: gin as diamond, Chartreuse as emerald, vermouth as ruby. This poetic naming reflects late Victorian-era cocktail culture's romanticism and sophistication. The Bijou is essentially a Martinez or early Martini variation where green Chartreuse replaces some gin, adding herbal complexity and sweetness. Green Chartreuse's 110-proof strength and intense herbal character (made by Carthusian monks from 130 herbs and plants) transforms the drink from simple gin-vermouth combination into something far more complex. The cocktail represents an era when bartenders used expensive, exotic ingredients like Chartreuse in classic drinks, and when sweet vermouth-based cocktails dominated bar culture. The Bijou nearly disappeared during Prohibition and the subsequent decline of vermouth cocktails, overshadowed by the dry Martini's rise. However, the craft cocktail renaissance rediscovered the Bijou as bartenders explored pre-Prohibition recipes and Chartreuse experienced renewed popularity. The drink appeals to herbal liqueur enthusiasts and those seeking complex, stirred cocktails beyond Manhattans and Martinis. The Bijou embodies gilded age cocktail elegance, demonstrates Chartreuse's cocktail versatility, and represents the lost art of vermouth-forward drinks. It showcases how classic cocktails used expensive, distinctive ingredients to create sophisticated drinking experiences rather than relying on neutral spirits and simple mixers.