This recipe is courtesy of Bar Biscay in Chicago, by their bar manager Archie Powell:
“This is my Bijou. There are many like it, but this one is mine. I’m not normally brand loyal to base spirits when it comes to cocktails, but this is a rare exception. Kyro, a Finnish distillery, set out from the beginning to utilize native rye in an effort to give the people of Finland a product resembling our very own Rittenhouse Rye. A crucial ingredient to rye whiskey, however, is time spent barrel aging; how’s one to sustain a business while waiting around for the endgame to reach maturity? One solution is to infuse younger batches with gin botanicals, which is exactly what Kyro has been up to. Koskue is their barrel aged product with one foot in whiskey and the other in gin. It’s herbaceous, floral, spicy and utterly moreish. I’ll tell anyone who will listen to me about this stuff.
Add to this the fact that I love a Bijou to an admittedly reckless extent. It’s easily my favorite classic cocktail. However, I’m remiss to admit that I’ve become spoiled by this recipe and find other builds not quite making good on the magic that Kyro’s Koskue always promises; a caramely, aromatic foundation for Spanish vermouths to break ground in service of a cozy pedestal upon which to showcase our crown jewel itself, the infamous Green Chartreuse. This is a banger. You’ll want seconds, possibly thirds. Hopefully you don’t have to work in the morning.
“Perfect” refers to the technique of splitting sweet vermouth with dry, but also the fact that I’m hard pressed to find a recipe for this cocktail that I’d ever prefer. I want it with my last meal. I’d appreciate it if someone out there could arrange that for me.”
Recipe
1.5 oz Kyro Koskue Rye Gin
.5 oz Green Chartreuse
.5 oz Atxa Rojo Vermouth
.5 oz Atxa Dry Vermouth
1 dash Orange Bitters
Stir with ice and serve up in a stemmed glass of your preference
Garnish with an orange express and optional cherry
