What does Green Chartreuse taste like?
Green Chartreuse tastes intensely herbal and sweet: mint, pine, anise and honey with a hot alcoholic kick, like a whole herb garden in one sip, at about 55% alcohol.
Green Chartreuse
hot, sweet, wild herbs
Green Chartreuse is a French herbal liqueur made by Carthusian monks in the Alps from a secret recipe of 130 plants, which only a couple of the monks know in full. The flavor is a rush of mint, pine needles, licorice, citrus peel and something peppery, all wrapped in honeyed sweetness. At about 55%, it's hot and strong, so a little goes a long way. Yellow Chartreuse is its gentler, sweeter sibling. It can be hard to find, since the monks limit how much they make.
Where you’ll see it
In the Last Word, the Bijou and the Chartreuse Swizzle, and sipped cold or on ice after dinner. Since supply is tight, some bars ration it or list it at a premium.
Order it if you love herbal flavors like mint, basil and licorice, and can handle a strong pour.
Quick questions
- What's the difference between green and yellow Chartreuse?
- Green is stronger (about 55%), more herbal and sharper. Yellow is around 40%, sweeter and softer, with more honey and saffron.
- Why is Chartreuse so hard to find?
- The monks who make it decided to cap production, so supply hasn't kept up with demand from bars.