Never Fully Dressed
I have long been a fan of the Bijou cocktail. The herbal notes of the gin enhanced by the rich alpine flavors of the green chartreuse that screams “look at me!!” both in flavor profile and color when you put it in a drink. With the vermouth and bitters rounding it out and providing the necessary foil to all those herbs.
Rabbit Hole Distilling sent me a bottle of their barrel aged Bespoke Gin to try. Marrying their loves together they rest London dry gin in their Kentucky rye barrels. The result is a golden liquid with a hint of spice. It’s a gin that rides that line between whiskey and gin. It might even be able to draw the two warring factions a bit closer together. Or perhaps make them both angry by not being the textbook gin or the textbook rye. As for me, I will sit quietly by and sip while they argue.
The cocktail calls for sweet vermouth. My go to is usually Carpano Antica. It’s kinda like that black dress… it goes with everything. But I wanted this cocktail to highlight the golden hue so I used a white sweet vermouth. Some of my favorites are Del Professore Classico, Starlino Rosé and Lillet Blanc. Of the three, Lillet is the easiest to find in most places. If you struggle to find it at the liquor check out your better wine stores. Vermouth is an aromatized wine with a proof low enough that most US states allow it to be sold in wine stores.
Bijou means “jewel” in french which is ever so romantic. But alas, I am not much of a jewel person. I do have a thing for pearls though. I decided to fill the image with things I love. My favorite 1920’s coupe glass, a 200-year-old pocket bible with tiny gold clasp, an antique hairbrush and mirror I found at an estate sale, a hand-tatted handkerchief passed down from my friend’s mother, and a multi-strand peal necklace from a french market with string after string of pearls on it.
The hole in the clear ice is made by carefully heating a drill bit with a torch and slowly drilling through tempered ice (ice sat on the counter for 20 minutes first to temper). It took a bit of patience and several reheats of the bit to get it all the way through without cracking the ice but the result is a perfect holder for my jeweled drink pick.
BIJOU COCKTAIL
1½ ounce Rabbit Hole Bespoke Gin
¾ ounce Green Chartreuse
1 ounce Sweet Vermouth
2 Dashes Orange Bitters
Put on your favorite jewels. Stir until chilled over ice. Strain into a coupe glass and drink with your pinky out.
