The Bijou cocktail was invented in the 1890s by famed bartender Harry Johnson, and named for the French word bijou, meaning “jewel.” This cocktail signifies the colors of three jewels: gin for diamond, vermouth for ruby and chartreuse for emerald. Prior to Prohibition, Indiana housed some of the top dis-tilleries in the country, including one that remained post Prohibition, Seagram in Lawrenceburg. Cardinal American Gin is a product of an Indiana Distillery located in Bloomington and they have brought back high-quality spirits to the State. The organic botanicals in the American Gin distilled from white grape, pink and white grapefruit zest, navel orange zest, crushed juniper berry, cardamom seeds and lavender flowers, makes this gin the perfect ingredient for this one-of-a-kind cocktail. Here's Bluebeard's own Scott Lowe and his take on this cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Cardinal American Gin
- 1 ounce Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
- ¾ ounce of Green Chartreuse
- 1 dash Regan’s Orange Bitters
- Orange peel
Instructions
Pour gin, vermouth and chartreuse over ice in a beaker. Add dash of orange bitters. Give it a brisk stir for 10 seconds.
Strain into a coupe glass (or other shallow glass). Garnish with orange peel.
About this recipe
by Scott Lowe, Bluebeard
Originally from La Porte, Scott Lowe moved to Indianapolis in 2000 from Los Angeles, where he cut his teeth in the bar business at, among others, Jones Hollywood and The Circle Bar in Venice Beach. After arriving in Indianapolis, he worked at such places as Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Broad Ripple Tavern and the Pawn Shop Pub. However, it wasn’t until he was the opening bar manager at The Ball & Biscuit that he really got involved in craft cocktails. Scott moved from The Ball and Biscuit to open Bluebeard for a chance to further his craft cocktail and spirits knowledge. He is currently Bluebeard’s beverage director.
To learn more about Bluebeard, please visit BlueBeardIndy.com .
