This bright yellow, sometimes verging on cool green, spirit is both storied and sexy. It was created as an elixir by French monks in the mid-18th century and is said to combine more than 130 herbs and botanicals. It is also aged in oak casks so it can have an herbaceous edge as a cocktail ingredient. It comes in both a green and yellow versions.
It was, not surprisingly, first used for medicinal purposes — like many of the other great European herb-based quaffs. However, it was so widely enjoyed that those who were not ill wanted to drink it as well. The original recipe evolved into today’s Green Chartreuse, which is bottled at 110 proof and generally has brighter, sharper botanicals and spices than its yellow counterpart.
The Range of Chartreuse Flavors
Yellow Chartreuse, introduced many years later, is bottled at 80 proof and is usually flavored with saffron and honey, offering a sweeter alternative that fares well when mixed with brown, barrel-aged spirits, while the green tends to pair better with gin and tequila. Green, standard Chartreuse, is also often consumed on the rocks as a digestive. Most of what is seen on the market today is the green version, although the yellow has continued to help to open the category to a wider audience. It first emerged on the U.S. market as part of the Swamp Cocktail, a 1970s summer party drink that was popular at U.S. colleges.
Thanks to its bold, distinctive flavor and its memorable hue, green Chartreuse is a star when it comes to its role in cocktails. One of the best-known green Chartreuse cocktails is the Last Word, made with equal parts gin, green Chartreuse, Maraschino liqueur and fresh lime. For that same reason, Chartreuse works beautifully in Tiki-inspired cocktails.
A Chartreuse and tonic is a simple, straightforward cocktail. As legend has it, the author Hunter S. Thompson liked to sip Chartreuse in a hot tub to get his creative juices flowing. Russian Tsar Nicolas II also reportedly insisted on always having Chartreuse on his table.
Mixing It With Cocktails
Chartreuse needs to be served cold to show its best, otherwise it can seem medicinal. Many who have not loved the green elixir have simply consumed it way too hot. It is also great for balancing out cocktails, in both sweet and savory ways, and adding complexity to a number of drinks. It is generally mixed with gin and a Chartreuse-infused Martini may be the blankest slate that it can be used in, besides on the rocks. It can also be used to rinse a glass before building a cocktail or sprayed from an atomizer to finish off a drink.
Two of the most famous cocktails made with Chartreuse are the Last Word and the Bijou. The Last Word is a mix of equal parts gin, Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and fresh lime juice. The Bijou dates to the late 1800s and blends gin with a punch of herbs and spice from Chartreuse and sweet vermouth.
