Green Chartreuse
Equipment
- 1 Y-Peeler
Ingredients
- 12 Ounces Everclear 151
- 1 Tablespoon Juniper
- ½ Ounce Dried Angelica
- 1 Teaspoon Herbs De Provence
- 2 Drops Absinthe
- 2 Peppercorns
- ½ Teaspoon Powdered Coriander
- ½ Ounce Dried Hyssop
- 1½ Teaspoons Lemon Verbena
- 1½ Teaspoons Lemon Balm
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 7 Grams Pandan Leaves
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Mace
- 3 Mint Leaves
- 1 Lemon, peel only without pith
- 2 Clementines, peel only without pith
- 6 Ounces Honey
Instructions
First Extraction
- Combine all ingredients except mint, peels & honey to a large jar. Allow this to sit for 7 days.12 Ounces Everclear 151, 1 Tablespoon Juniper, ½ Ounce Dried Angelica, 1 Teaspoon Herbs De Provence, 2 Drops Absinthe, 2 Peppercorns, ½ Teaspoon Powdered Coriander, ½ Ounce Dried Hyssop, 1½ Teaspoons Lemon Verbena, 1½ Teaspoons Lemon Balm, 1 Bay Leaf, 7 Grams Pandan Leaves, ¼ Teaspoon Ground Mace
Second Step
- After 7 days, strain and discard used ingredients. Leaving behind only the infused everclear.
- Rinse the jar your extraction was in, then add the infused Everclear back to the same jar.
- Add in 3 mint leaves. You will want to taste every 10 minutes and remove the mint leaves as soon as you can taste the mint.3 Mint Leaves
- To the jar, add your peels (with no pith) – allow to sit for 36 hours.1 Lemon, peel only without pith, 2 Clementines, peel only without pith
Final Step
- After 36 hours, remove the peels from your extraction. Add honey and mix well to incorporate.6 Ounces Honey
- Store your Chartreuse in a cool dark place in an airtight container.
The nutrition facts provided on this site are only an estimate and are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutrition facts for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Video
Angie’s Notes
- The original Green Chartruese has 130 herbs & botanicals. If you would like more than what I have included you could include star anise, thyme, cinnamon, cloves, or fennel.
- Try swapping the honey for simple syrup and the mint for mint alcohol.
Why I Love Green Chartreuse
To start, green chartreuse makes great drinks! The downside is that it is hard to get, and can be expensive. The average cost of green chartreuse is around $70 per 750 ml bottle. I knew I had to try to make my own, and obviously, I wasn’t going to find or be able to get all 130 herbs & botanicals that are used in green chartreuse. That’s why I made this how-to-make green chartreuse recipe!
Today we will explore why green chartreuse is hard to find, the history, and how I came up with this recipe. Make a drink, and settle in for a good read!
What Is Green Chartreuse?
Green chartreuse is a green herbal liqueur that is naturally colored. Rumor has it that 130 herbs are used, and it is steeped for about 8 hours. Chartreuse is available in both yellow & green and has been available since around 1840.
Carthusian monks make chartreuse in the Chartreuse Mountains found near Grenoble. The recipe is closely kept, but people have tried to crack the recipe many times.
Being that the recipe is closely guarded, the time it takes to make, and issues getting supplies, make chartreuse hard to find. While my green chartreuse tastes great in cocktails, it may not taste or look like typical green chartreuse.
To read all about chartreuse, visit this Wikipedia page.
How I Came Up With A Green Chartreuse Recipe
As I started looking into green chartreuse recipes, I was surprised that I didn’t find many options. I found 3 recipes that were all similar enough to chartreuse that I thought I could make my own version by modifying/combining what I found.
Here are the sources I used for inspiration:
- Drunken Botanist
- There was a 2nd Reddit post, but I didn’t save the link and I can’t find it again – sorry about that!
- Truffle On The Rocks (video, see description of the video for recipe)
I took all 4 recipes I found and added them to an Excel sheet so I could see all the ingredients in front of me. When I had all the ingredients in front of me, I started looking for similarities, what would be easy to get (or that I already had), etc. Thanks to my DIY non-alcoholic gin I had some ingredients on hand.
What I Would Do Different Next Time
To start, I would try a 100-proof vodka or use a beet sugar-based spirit. That would certainly help with the harshness of the Everclear.
Second, I would adjust when I add certain herbs and add more herbs. Some of the things I added came off as bitter to me, and I’d like to try to avoid that. Original green chartreuse is so smooth and perfectly sweet!
Next time, I would start with the “green” herbs and let them sit for about 3 days, then I would strain, and add in the remaining herbs (not the mint, peels, or honey). I’d allow that to sit for 7 days, then pick up the process from there.
In addition to adjusting when/what I start with – I would find a way to add these ingredients: star anise, thyme, cinnamon, cloves, or fennel.
I also wanted to add that it is good if you can have some green chartreuse on hand to taste test against. If you do that, I’d recommend getting water crackers and eating one in between tastings.
Final Notes On DIY Green Chartreuse
Above I included what I would do next, but I wanted to share a few things I would not do in case anyone was thinking of trying these ideas. I hope these tips help you make chartreuse!
I would not:
– Use sugar – it won’t dissolve, you must make simple syrup if you aren’t using honey. A simple syrup of 2/3 cup sugar to 1/3 cup water warmed on the stove until sugar is dissolved is what I would use.
– Leave the citrus in for longer – I think 36 hours is plenty of time.
– Leave mint in for longer – I left it until I could *just barely* taste it, and that is plenty
I can’t wait to try this recipe again and see if I can get closer to the original! When will you try this recipe?
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