You still get the herbal notes from the green Chartreuse, but the sweetness from the vermouth isn’t overpowering like it was in the original. So, I tried DeGroff’s version as well as the original. Aaron’s note: Originally an equal parts recipe while I respect the beauty of an easy to remember Bijou Cocktail recipe like that, the Green Chartreuse in Harry Johnson. We’re not interested in super sweet cocktails anymore. Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Today, just like back then, palates have changed. But just because that was the ratio at the turn of the 20th century, doesn’t mean it’s good for the palates of today. Cocktail historian David Wondrich believes that the Chartreuse and vermouth were added to the Bijou because in the late 1800’s “bartenders, seeking to cater to a more sophisticated, cosmopolitan clientele, turned to vermouth and other European aperitifs, digestifs, and cordials to broaden their palettes.” So, in order to do that, the original Bijou was made up of equal parts vermouth, gin and chartreuse with a few drops of orange bitters and a twist of lemon. Light, but potent, this drink is delicious with some serious herbal notes, thanks in no small part to the green Chartreuse. Although DeGroff changed the ratios to adapt to modern palates, all the liquors remained the same. It wasn’t until sometime in the 1980’s that Dale De Groff of New York’s Rainbow Room found the classic drink and served it up at the iconic bar, that the Bijou regained its popularity.
But unlike the Martini or Manhattan which remained popular during and after the drought, this cocktail completely fell off the radar. Then, like a lot of the cocktails of that time, it disappeared. Like most well-known classics from the 19th century, the Bijou was very popular until Prohibition. While it doesn’t use any bubbles, it does take gin. Don’t get me wrong, I still like whiskey, but those lighter liquors just seem to make better spring and summer cocktails and they definitely go better with club soda or ginger beer. I tend to go from those dark brown liquors like whiskey and scotch to lighter liquors like gin and vodka. As I’ve said many times before, when the weather changes, so do my liquors.
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