The Bijou: A Complete History & Classic Recipe

Elegant, jewel-toned, and aromatic, the Bijou is one of the great forgotten masterpieces of 19th-century bartending — a drink that glimmers like its name, which means “jewel” in French.

Combining gin, sweet vermouth, and green Chartreuse, the Bijou is both opulent and balanced — a perfect marriage of herbal, botanical, and spiced notes. With its emerald-green depth and diamond-cut clarity, it’s a cocktail that tastes like history refined through alchemy.

Once lost to time, the Bijou has been rediscovered as a bartender’s favorite, admired for its precision, perfume, and timeless sophistication.

I. Origins

The Bijou was created in the late 19th century by Harry Johnson, one of the earliest giants of professional bartending and a rival to Jerry Thomas.

It first appeared in Johnson’s 1900 edition of The Bartender’s Manual, though he claimed to have invented it in the 1890s. The name “Bijou,” French for “jewel,” symbolized its three key ingredients:

• Gin (diamond)

• Vermouth (ruby)

• Green Chartreuse (emerald)

  
  

This triad mirrored the era’s fascination with both luxury and color — a time when cocktails weren’t just beverages but works of art in glass.

The drink quickly became popular among New York and Paris elites, admired for its balance of botanical brightness and Chartreuse’s herbal complexity.

II. Historical Evolution

The 1890s–1910s – The Jewel of the Golden Age

During the height of pre-Prohibition cocktail culture, the Bijou stood beside drinks like the Manhattan and the Martini as a standard of sophistication.

Its equal-parts recipe reflected late-19th-century palates: bold, sweet, and aromatic. Bartenders considered it a “luxury cocktail” — rich, complex, and contemplative.

The Prohibition Era – The Disappearance

When Prohibition began in 1920, Chartreuse and quality vermouth became nearly impossible to source in the United States. The Bijou, dependent on these imported components, vanished from American bars.

By the mid-20th century, it was a ghost — mentioned only in obscure manuals, overshadowed by drier, simpler cocktails like the Martini and the Negroni.

The 1980s–Present – Rediscovery and Refinement

As the craft cocktail movement revived interest in historical recipes, bartenders like Dale DeGroff and Gary Reganbrought the Bijou back to life.

Modern palates found the equal-parts version too sweet, so contemporary bartenders adjusted the ratios — giving gin more prominence and using bitters for depth.

Today, the Bijou is again a hallmark of craft and confidence — a drink that rewards precision and patience.

III. Ingredients & Technique

The Bijou is all about aromatic balance — the juniper brightness of gin, the sweetness of vermouth, and the herbal depth of Chartreuse all must coexist, not compete.

Core Components

• Gin: The backbone; bright, botanical, and structured.

• Sweet Vermouth: The warmth and sweetness.

• Green Chartreuse: The herbal and mystical component.

• Orange Bitters: The aromatic bridge that ties it all together.

The Classic Ratio (Modern Balanced Version)

• 1.5 oz (45 ml) gin

• 0.75 oz (22 ml) sweet vermouth

• 0.5 oz (15 ml) green Chartreuse

• 1 dash orange bitters

IV. Cultural Significance

The Bijou represents a golden era of elegance, when cocktails were designed like jewelry — layered, balanced, and meant to sparkle.

It’s also a symbol of French influence on global mixology. The presence of Chartreuse — a liqueur made by Carthusian monks since the 1700s — connected Old World mystique with New World craft.

Culturally, the Bijou is a bridge between the Victorian parlor and the modern craft bar — ornate yet disciplined, lush yet precise.

For bartenders, it’s a badge of skill: mastering the Bijou means understanding proportion, temperature, and aromatic control.

For drinkers, it’s a sophisticated indulgence — a taste of luxury that lingers long after the last sip.

V. How to Make the Classic Version Today

Recipe — The Classic Bijou

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz (45 ml) London Dry gin (e.g., Beefeater, Tanqueray)

• 0.75 oz (22 ml) sweet vermouth (e.g., Carpano Antica or Cocchi di Torino)

• 0.5 oz (15 ml) green Chartreuse

• 1 dash orange bitters

Method

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.

2. Stir slowly until thoroughly chilled (about 30 seconds).

3. Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass.

4. Garnish with a lemon twist or brandied cherry.

Specs

• Glass: Coupe or Nick & Nora

• Ice: Stirred, served up

• Garnish: Lemon twist or cherry

• Style: Aromatic gin cocktail

Technique Notes

• Avoid overshaking or overdiluting; the Bijou’s strength lies in its intensity.

• Use high-quality Chartreuse — its complexity drives the entire drink.

• A lemon twist brightens; a cherry deepens — choose based on your mood.

Variations & Lineage

• Equal Parts Bijou (1890s Original): 1:1:1 gin, vermouth, Chartreuse. Richer and sweeter.

• Dry Bijou: Replace sweet vermouth with dry vermouth for a lighter, herbal tone.

• Smoky Bijou: Add a barspoon of Islay Scotch for a peated edge.

• Negroni Vert: Substitute Chartreuse for Campari — a green mirror image.

Service & Pairing Tip

• Perfect as a contemplative aperitif or elegant nightcap.

• Pairs beautifully with aged cheeses, pâté, or smoked salmon.

VI. Modern Variations & Legacy

The Bijou has become a modern bartender’s jewel box — a drink that invites experimentation while retaining its core elegance.

It paved the way for the Martinez, the Negroni, and even the Last Word — all descendants of its aromatic, equal-parts structure.

Its legacy lies not just in its taste, but in its philosophy: that the perfect cocktail is a balance of opposites — sweetness and dryness, clarity and mystery, history and innovation.

Today, the Bijou shines again in cocktail bars around the world, reclaiming its place as one of the most precise and poetic expressions of mixology’s golden age.