With its French name and midwestern roots, the Bijou cocktail can be hard to place. Early iterations of the drink, whose name translates to “jewel,” emerged in two U.S. cities circa 1895. Bartenders in St. Louis, Missouri, made Bijous with Grand Marnier and Cognac. Meanwhile, those in Cincinnati, Ohio, used the moniker for a combination of Grand Marnier, gin, and Italian vermouth. The latter was more closely related to the version published in Harry Johnson’s 1900 Bartender’s Manual, which featured equal parts of gin, sweet vermouth, and green Chartreuse, plus a few dashes of orange bitters. The Bijou’s popularity waned in the second half of the 20th century. But it started to appear on cocktail menus again in the early aughts, thanks to the rising popularity of craft gin, Chartreuse, and pre-Prohibition drinks. Modern bartenders tend to tweak proportions to put gin front and center. Not only does a gin-forward mix create a drier finish, but it also keeps the bold, herbaceous flavors of Chartreuse from overwhelming the drink. “I prefer using an Old Tom–style gin, which adds a pleasant citrusy-sweet character that pairs beautifully with the orange bitters,” says Diego Deleon, beverage manager of Kaori Miami. The results are bright and balanced—despite the cocktail’s relatively high ABV. “It’s a boozy drink, but still very delicate and approachable,” Deleon add.