Chartreuse has been around for centuries and always popular with mixologists. It took a global pandemic to make the French herbal liqueur a household name though. Carthusian monks have been making it by hand since the 1700s and were always able to keep up with demand. In the last few years, they have decreased production to focus more on being monks instead of liquor executives. Now you can pretty much only get it in the US if you own a bar.

Roger has poured samples of Chartreuse and six alternatives. Additionally, he made seven Last Word cocktails with each of the seven samples. We’re blind tasting these seven samples, hoping to find an alternative to Chartreuse that is just as good and readily available in our stores. After we try all of that, Roger will whip up two more Chartreuse cocktails.

1. Dolin Genepy des Chamois Bitter Liqueur – We’ve had this on the podcast before, in our Winter Cocktails episode. It’s probably the most recommended Chartreuse alternative on Google but the most well-known way to enjoy it is with hot chocolate.
2. Escorial Green – This German liqueur is higher in alcohol than most of these alternatives, so it’s closer to Chartreuse. On its own, Roger gets a ton of white pepper but in a cocktail it works.
3. Chartreuse – As Chris correctly guessed, number 3 is Chartreuse. You can see why people like this and why it’s so sought after.
4. Enrico Toro Centerba 72 Digestif – On its own, this one is pretty hot but it was great in a cocktail.
5. Boomsma Claerkampster Cloosterbitter – Luckily for Pat and our spirits consultants, this was our favorite of the day and also the best bargain.
6. Elixir Spirits Ver Liquore d’Erb – Our buddy Andrea Lorretto stopped by the Barrel to Bottle studios a few weeks ago to talk about his line of Amaros. They have a Last Word-adjacent cocktail on their bottle with more gin and Ver and less lime juice, then replacing simple syrup with Maraschino.
7. Faccia Bruto Centerbe – A hip amaro producer from New York, it made a great cocktail.

Last Word

INGREDIENTS:

• ¾ oz Gin
• ¾ oz green Chartreuse or alternative
• ¾ oz Maraschino Liqueur
• ¾ oz lime juice

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Add ingredients to shaker with ice.
2. Shake until well-chilled.
3. Strain into chilled coupe glass.

Swamp Water

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ½ oz Chartreuse (or alternative)
• 4 oz Pineapple Juice
• ½ oz lime juice

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Add ingredients to shaker with ice.
2. Shake until well-chilled.
3. Strain into Collins glass with fresh ice. 

Chartreuse Swizzle

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ½ oz Chartreuse (or alternative)
• 1 oz Pineapple juice
• ¾ oz lime juice
• ½ oz Falernum

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Add ingredients to shaker with ice.
2. Shake until well-chilled.
3. Strain into Collins glass with fresh ice.