Green vs yellow Chartreuse: what's the difference?
Green Chartreuse is stronger, about 55%, and intensely herbal, minty and peppery, while yellow Chartreuse is about 40%, sweeter and softer, with honey and flowers.
Green Chartreuse
EasyBoozy
TartSweet
Not bitterBracing
Loud, minty and herbal, like an alpine meadow with a kick.
What does Green Chartreuse taste like?Yellow Chartreuse
EasyBoozy
TartSweet
Not bitterBracing
Gentler and sweeter, with honey, flowers and soft herbs.
The real difference
Both are French herbal liqueurs made by Carthusian monks from a secret blend of plants. Green is the big, wild one: high proof, minty, piney and peppery. Yellow uses less alcohol and more sweetness, so it's rounder and honeyed. Both have been hard to find lately because the monks limit how much they make.
Side by side
Green ChartreuseYellow Chartreuse
AlcoholAbout 55%About 40%
TastesIntense, minty, pepperySweet, honeyed, floral
On a menuLast Word, Chartreuse swizzle, BijouNaked and Famous, Alaska, sipped
Which to order
- Order green Chartreuse drinks if you love big herbal flavor.
- Order yellow if you want the herbs softened with honey.
Quick questions
- Which Chartreuse goes in a Last Word?
- Green. The Last Word is equal parts gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime. Yellow makes a softer variation.
- Why is Chartreuse so hard to find?
- The monks who make it cap production, and demand has outrun supply in recent years. Bars may ration it or price it high.