Now, back to those monks and Chartreuse. However polarising it may be to some tastebuds, Chartreuse definitely hooks hearts with its mysterious history. Crafted by Carthusian monks in a monastery nestled in the French Alps, this emerald beauty dates all the way back to the 1600s. Originally touted as the ‘elixir of long life’, this complex recipe, made up of apparently 130 plants and herbs, remains top secret to this day, known only by a handful of monks. Chartreuse's mystique is only amplified by recent accounts stating that the monks are scaling back production to focus on prayer and solitude. If ever there was a divine sign to stock up on the herbaceous drop, this would be it!
Both colours of Chartreuse give the gin a really herbal kick here, but if you’re just dipping a toe into the realm of Chartreuse, feel free to dial down the measurements and add a little more gin, lime juice and sugar syrup to balance the cocktail to your liking. Yellow Chartreuse can be hard to find, but here's a hot tip: Strega Liqueur is very similar in both taste and colour. It's a little softer, sweeter and mintier, but they can be used interchangebly in a pinch!
If your taste leans more towards sour, bitter and dry rather than sweet, don’t be shy with the lime juice and feel free to use a little less sugar syrup or, tbh, ditch it altogether to allow the herbaceous gin and Chartreuse to really sing.
And if the alluring flavours of this mystical liqueur have you in its grip, check out these other ideas for using up a bottle of leftover Chartreuse.
