I had my first taste of Green Chartreuse last summer in San Francisco, in a Chartreuse Swizzle cocktail served at the Clock Bar in The Westin by Union Square. Since then, I keep seeing Chartreuse on menus all over Calgary.
My husband was equally smitten with the herbaceous spirit, which is infused with 130 botanicals and made by Carthusian monks in France. He surprised me with a bottle but we had a problem — how to incorporate the distinct and savoury spirit into a cocktail. Enter The Google, which led me to a fantastic drink called Keeping up with the Carthusians.
This savoury drink with tequila and Green Chartreuse doesn’t mess around.
It combines Green Chartreuse with blanco tequila, lime and agave syrup. You end up with something kind of like a margarita, only one that’s more interesting thanks to the spicy and savoury flavours coming through from the Chartreuse. The green spirit also adds more booze (it’s 55 percent ABV) so slow down and sip — this is not a drink for guzzling. If you do, you won’t keep up.
Finally, a cocktail for my new bottle of Green Chartreuse!
Keeping up with the Carthusians
- 1-1/2 oz blanco tequila
- Just under 1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
- 3 drops white spice fennel bitters (I skipped this ingredient)
- 1 oz cocktail-ready agave syrup (I used 1/2 oz)
- 1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
- Garnish: lime wheel and orange peel
Method: Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake, then strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and an orange peel (I used a mint sprig).
— Recipe by Adam Stemmler, Blind Tiger Cocktail Company
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