011 – Covid Tailspin

A Sydney ‘lock-down’ version of the Tailspin / Bijou cocktail, a long-lost cocktail jewel.

Sydney’s Covid Lockdown has inspired me to explore this early turn-of-the-20th Century cocktail, its fall from favour and its fascinating return since the 1980’s, thanks to Dale DeGroff and more recently Death & Co (with their take on the Tailspin cocktail). Here is my ‘Bijou/Tailspin’ recipe and some cocktail background on this ‘Covid Tailspin’ cocktail re-mix.

Make your own Locktail ‘Covid Tailspin’ (or Bijou). Here is my preferred recipe:

METHOD — Chill glassware (coupe) and rinse with 5ml Campari, discard Campari just prior to cocktail mix. Mix 45ml Gin (‘The Botanist’ or dry cocktail style Gin), 30ml Vermouth (sweet red Italian style, I highly suggest using the amazing ‘Oscar 697 Rosso’, pre-chilled), 15ml of Green Chartreuse (or to taste) and two-dashes of Orange Bitters in a mixing glass, strain into glass. Garnish with orange peel, or alternatively orange zest or similar, I prefer adding the zest-oil from the garnish to float on the cocktail surface.

HISTORICAL NOTES – Technically this could be considered an 1800’s Cocktail, the ‘Bijou’ first appearing in C.F. Lawlor’s ‘The Mixicologist or How To Mix All Kinds of Fancy Drinks (revised edition)’ in 1895, however that early variant had Grand Marnier rather than the later Green Chartreuse. That is a mix I am saving for later in some other Grand Marnier re-discoveries.

The better known ‘Bijou’ recipe is considered to have been invented by Harry Johnson, sometimes named the “father of professional bar-tending” in his 1900 release of the ‘Bartenders’ Manual of How to Mix Drinks in the Present Style (new and improved illustrated edition)’. Johnson’s recipe calls for one-third each of Gin, Sweet (Italian) Vermouth, and Green Chartreuse. The French word ‘Bijou’ translates to ‘Jewel’ in English, and Johnson saw the Gin representing Diamond, the Green Chartreuse for Emerald, and the Red Vermouth for Ruby. Once as popular as the Martini and Manhattan, the Bijou did not survive Prohibition (1920-1933) and did not return as a popular cocktail. It is not one of the included cocktails in the International Bartender Association’s official list. Perhaps as Brett Moskowitz said in his Esquire article, because the Bijou “was never updated to reflect evolving tastes.”

In the 1980’s New York Bartender, Dale DeGroff, came across the recipe and re-introduced it at his ‘Rainbow Room’ Bar, with a change to suit modern preferences, increasing the Gin and reducing the Green Chartreuse and Vermouth. This has become the standard contemporary recipe for the Bijou, and it was published in his 2008 book, ‘The Essential Cocktail: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks’.

In one of my favorite contemporary Cocktail Books, the 2014 release of the Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails book by the New York Bar of the same name, they have a recipe for their version of ‘The Tailspin’ Cocktail. It has been claimed that the old ‘Tailspin’ cocktail (somewhere between the 1930’s and 1980’s) is essentially the same as a classic Bijou. It is hard to find any evidence during these years, and when ‘Tailspin’ cocktails do appear, for example in Dexter Mason’s 1930 book ‘The Art of Drinking What and How’ (page 46), his ‘Tailspin’ is a very different cocktail, being Whiskey and grape-juice based.

In any case, since Dale DeGroff ‘re-floated’ the Bijou, and variants of the ‘Tailspin’ have returned with similar Gin/Vermouth/Chartreuse blends in more recent times, they have all generally dialed-down the Green Chartreuse and upped the Gin. Death & Co also boost the Gin, but leave the Green Chartreuse and Vermouth at original strength, adding a Campari glass-rinse to their recipe – for a Cocktail worthy of the name ‘Tailspin’.

Many recipes for both the Bijou and the Tailspin, have an addition of a dash of Orange Bitters, and either Lemon or Orange Peel (or twist) for the Garnish, some also call for a Cocktail Cherry.

THE OFFICIAL MIX – There is no official ‘Bijou’ mix. The closest is even parts Gin, Italian Sweet Red Vermouth, Green Chartreuse, a dash of Orange Bitters and a garnish of any of lemon peel, orange peel, or cocktail cherry. The Tailspin, at least in contemporary times is similar, usually with a Campari glass rinse.

TASTING NOTES – For me, having tasted the original 1895 ‘Grand Marnier’ variant, I was tempted to go down that road, but I’ll leave Grand Marnier for another challenge, as both the ‘Bijou’ and the ‘Tailspin’ seem firmly connected to Green Chartreuse, since Harry Johnson’s 1900 invention (or re-invention). I believe, as other commentators have said, that for most modern drinkers the Green Chartreuse is too overpowering. The Dale DeGroff version is much more enjoyable, especially if you use a great Italian Vermouth like the ‘Oscar 697 Rosso’. I am even more enamored by the Death & Co ‘Tailspin’ adjustment, giving a bit of extra bitterness from the Campari rinse. If you are normally a Negroni fan and like a bit of bitterness on the palate, this is a complex, subtle and sophisticated cocktail that might be your new favorite. This is a cocktail, with the right-balance, that should make a return to popular cocktail lists.

LOCKTAIL CHANGES – I have made this eleventh Sydney Covid Lockdown Cocktail – Locktail – the first of the 1900-to-1910 block, another homage to the cocktails of old.

As mentioned above, I have gone for Death & Co base for their Tailspin recipe (page 152 of their book). My only adjustment is to dial-down the Green Chartreuse as Dale DeGroff did in his Bijou, halving the amount in Death & Co’s ‘Tailspin’. I have gone for ‘The Botanist’ as my preferred Gin, and the new and amazing Oscar 697 Rosso as the Vermouth. Two-dashes of Orange bitters rather than one, and an orange peel garnish with some of the orange oil floated, instead of the lemon, which for me is a mismatch. This is a perfect balance for me, and keeps the strong Green Chartreuse flavours in check.

YOUR LOCKTAIL EXPERIENCE – If you’d rather taste than read, I am progressively building an ingredient list and other sourcing information on this site. I will re-use ingredients where I can (good for my budget too), so that the cost goes down overtime if you are ‘playing at home’.

Let me know what you think.

Cocktails you’d like reinvented.

Recipes you’ve tried and your ‘score’.

This is the first of the 1900-1910 bracket. See the full list in the index.