classic · stirred
Bijou recipe
Gin, sweet vermouth, and Green Chartreuse. Jewel-bright.
A Bijou is 30 ml (28.2 g) Gin, 30 ml (31.5 g) Sweet Vermouth and 30 ml (27.9 g) Green Chartreuse, stirred and served in a coupe. It pours to about 90 ml before ice, at roughly 37% ABV. Weighing the ingredients instead of measuring them is what keeps the balance identical from one round to the next.
- Glasscoupe
- Methodstirred
- Pour volume90 ml
- Strength (est.)37% ABV
- Time3 min
Bijou ingredients — in millilitres and grams
Grams are what the PourPilot coaster actually targets. They are not the same as the millilitres: a spirit is lighter than water, a syrup is heavier, so 30 ml of one is never 30 g. The right-hand column is the density we use, in grams per millilitre.
| Ingredient | Volume | Weight | g/ml | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gin | 30 ml | 28.2 g | 0.94 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Sweet Vermouth | 30 ml | 31.5 g | 1.05 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Green Chartreuse | 30 ml | 27.9 g | 0.93 | Weighed by the coaster |
How to make a Bijou
- Set your coupe on the scale (or on the PourPilot coaster) and zero it. Every measurement below is given in millilitres and in grams, so you can use either.
- Pour Gin, Sweet Vermouth and Green Chartreuse into a mixing glass, weighing each one as you go.
- Fill the mixing glass with hard, cold ice and stir for 20–30 seconds — until the outside frosts and the mix has dropped to roughly −2 °C.
- Strain into a chilled coupe.
Bijou: the questions people actually ask
How strong is a Bijou?
Roughly 37% ABV as poured, before the ice dilutes it — typically another 15–25% water by the time you finish stirring or shaking. Strong. This is a stirred, undiluted-style drink — one is a full measure.
What glass should a Bijou be served in?
A coupe. Chill it first — a room-temperature stemmed glass will undo half the work you just did in the mixing tin.
Can I make a Bijou without a jigger?
Yes — that is what the gram column is for. Put the glass or tin on a kitchen scale, zero it, and pour to the weight. It is more accurate than a jigger because nothing is left clinging to the inside of the measure. The PourPilot coaster does the same thing without you having to watch a display: it lights up as you approach the target and tells you when to stop.
If you like the Bijou
Negroni
Equal parts gin, vermouth, Campari. Stir over ice.
Hanky Panky
Gin and sweet vermouth with a bracing dash of Fernet-Branca.
Martinez
The Martini's sweeter ancestor: gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino.
Dry Martini
Gin-forward, cold, and elegant. The ratio is everything.
Last Word
Equal parts gin, Chartreuse, maraschino, lime. Perfectly balanced.
Tuxedo
A dry Martini dressed up with maraschino, absinthe and orange bitters.