I like my ladies the way I like my cocktails: strong, cool, and complex. This mint, gin, and green chartreuse cocktail has it all!

The Birth of the Verdant Lady
I've been trying to make this cocktail since 2007 when I first tried it at Alembic in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. My friend Amelia and I used to frequent Alembic when it first opened, before there was a line out the door every night and you had to elbow-fight pretty hipsters to get a drink. Back then, we would meet after work, which for us was around midnight.
I worked a plating shift at a schmancy restaurant where I juggled 8 different desserts every night, then scoured the kitchen from top to bottom, all for what basically amounted to minimum wage. Amelia worked odd hours as a counselor at a house for folks who had fallen on hard times. We would both emerge from work when most of the city was tucked into bed, both in need of a stiff drink. We'd belly up to the near-empty bar, chat with the bartenders about the relative merits of gin vs. whiskey, and snack on deviled duck eggs and the most delicious cocktails either of us had ever tasted.
The Mediterranean Homesick Blues was my usual, a light and fizzy gin concoction kissed with cardamom, rose, and lemon, which I adapted here (and really deserves some better, non-smart-phone photos). One night, a bartender was serving us and I asked her for something similar but different. She shook me up a creation of her own, strained it into a coupe, and garnished it with a mint leaf. I took a sip: icy bits kissed my lips, fresh mint wafted cool and clean, and a bouquet of herbs and spices punched me in the kisser. It was the classiest cocktail I'd ever met.
I asked the name of the drink, to which she replied, "Femme Fatale." Fitting. Thinking I could simply look up the recipe online, I tumbled into a taxi and headed home. But the interwebs told a different story. There was no gin and chartreuse-based Femme Fatale to be found, only something sweet and fruity made with SoCo that was the antithesis of the drink I sought.
Luckily, we tracked down the bartender a second time, and again she shook up the most ambrosial liquid I'd ever tasted. And this time, I made her write down the formula on a coaster. I put the coaster on my refrigerator and made a concerted effort to procure Green Chartreuse liqueur.
What is Chartreuse? Yellow Chartreuse vs. Green Chartreuse:
Chartreuse comes in yellow and green varieties. Green chartreuse is a bright green herbal liquor made by Carthusian monks in the Grenoble region of France since the 1700's. The spirit usually comes in wine bottle-sized containers and costs a fair sum. Yet the price is reasonable when you consider that 130 different types of herbs, spices, and botanicals go into making the naturally-colored libation. It tastes a little bit like old-school medicine, in a good way. Monk medicine. It has bittersweet notes of star anise, spices, and green herbs such as basil, mint, and tarragon. It tastes fresh and green, but warming and hearty at the same time, like a liqueur and bitters all rolled into one.
Yellow chartreuse has a similar flavor profile, but it gets sweetness and dilution from honey and saffron, which give it its warm hue. I've since shared a yellow chartreuse cocktail with bourbon and ginger, the Honey and Hearth, which is the cool-weather cousin of the Verdant Lady, perfect for sipping on a brisk fall day.
Both types of Chartreuse are often sipped on their own as a digestif, either chilled or at room temperature. But the green stuff, as I had learned, also pairs perfectly with gin, which ups the botanical ante, allowing the flavors to blossom. (If you're Chartreuse-curious, read this great article from Serious Eats, which will make you seriously thirsty.)
But in San Francisco, space was at a premium, even back in 2007. I was loath to shell out 60 bucks for a giant bottle of a strong spirit that I wasn't sure I could get through in the next 20 years and that would take up precious real estate in the liquor cabinet. So the coaster with the Femme Fatale recipe sat unused for years.
Chartreuse Cocktails
Then last week, my friend Shelley told me about a cocktail she'd had at Smokestack, a local eatery that puts the "bar" in "bar-b-que" and is also under the same parent company as Alembic – Magnolia Brewing. (Sadly it's now closed!) Shelley's favorite drink, the Islais Lady, is a gin-based cocktail shaken up with a bunch of herbaceous spirits and strained into a coupe. I took a sip of hers one night and BAM – memories of the Femme Fatale flooded my senses. I had to have it again.
This time, my Chartreuse hunt turned up a half-sized bottle, which I found at the unlikeliest of places: a local market with a petite selection of spirits. I did a happy dance, paid, and rushed home. (Of course, I could have ordered it online, but I didn't think of that.) I fished the coaster out from an old recipe binder, mixed up a batch of simple syrup, juiced a lime, shook, strained, and sipped, and...
...it wasn't as good as I remembered. Too strong, too sweet, too much anise from the Chartreuse, and not enough mint. Tinkering was in order. I took down the simple syrup and Chartreuse and threw in a handful of fresh mint leaves, which broke into tiny shards in the shaker. This time it was perfect: ice cold but with warming flavors from spicy chartreuse, refreshingly minty, with a complex one-two punch from the gin, and enough acidity from lime juice to balance the sweet liqueur. I dubbed it The Verdant Lady, cousin to the Femme Fatale, soft and delicate like Smokestack's Islais Lady.
The Verdant Lady works well in any weather, hot or cold. If you're after something more light and refreshing, simply stir the drink with ice, then strain into ice-filled tumblers and top with fizzy water for something akin to a delicate gin and tonic.
What to do with Green Chartreuse Liqueur?
Now that I've got a bottle of chartreuse, I'm dying to finally try it in ice cream, truffles, and Verte Chaude: chartreuse hot chocolate, popular with the French après-ski crowd. I nibbled a piece of chocolate today with my Verdant Lady and the combination was surprisingly spot-on. And I'm also looking forward to trying the Last Word Cocktail, another ginny Chartreuse number with Luxardo in the mix. Because a lady always needs to have the last word.
Now if only I could find a small bottle of Luxardo...
More chartreuse cocktails and herbaceous drinks:
- honey & hearth {yellow chartreuse cocktail with bourbon, ginger, lemon}
- tarragon gin and tonics
- chamomile honeycomb gimlets
- muscovado mint juleps
- mumbai mules {with coriander, cumin, and saffron}
- sangrìa verde {vinho verde, cucumber, melon, mint, basil + lime}
- one for the money cocktail {cocchi americano, st. germain, prosecco, lemon, and cardamom-saffron tincture}
- moroccan mojitos
- matcha mint juleps
- Hibiscus-Tequila Spritzers
*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this green chartreuse cocktail, I’d love to see. Tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Verdant Lady {Chartreuse, Gin & Mint Cocktail}
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- ice
- 3 tablespoons gin (such as Hendrick's) (1 1/2 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon fresh, strained lime juice (1/2 ounce)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons simple syrup (1/4 ounce)
- 1 teaspoon Green Chartreuse (1/6 ounce)
- 4 large mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, combine the gin, lime juice, simple syrup, chartreuse, and mint leaves. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds, then strain into a coupe. Garnish with a mint sprig if you like, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Speaking of spicy green things, I'm excited to announce the winners of the #EatGreen2016 Spice Society contest (detailed here). It was painful to pick. We loved all of your photos so much and wanted to eat each and every one. Many thanks to all who entered!
First Place:
- VanillaandBean's Butternut Squash and Kale Lasagna
- ABitWholesomely's thalipeeth spiced gluten-free flatbread
Runners Up:
- CelloKesh's Vegan, Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese
- ToGroak's curried chickpea salad with hemp seeds and olive oil
- ReclaimingYesterday's Thai chicken zoodle soup
Honorable Mention:
- laterlex_strong's pumpkin curry cashew collard green wraps
- inthiskitchen's Honey spiced roasted carrots with a tahini-yogurt sauce
- athletefood's Baby kale, roasted mushrooms, black pepper goat cheese pasta
- porkbellychestnut's Homemade whole wheat noodle with red chili oil and greens
- sweet_kabocha's sweet potatoes + red onion + tofu + rainbow chard
Tori says
This is such an awesome cocktail recipe and so beautifully photographed!
Antoine Parisis says
I agree, but try this coctail with the famous Matterhorn gin of The Booze Store in Belgium. You will be surprised ! :)
Angela - Patisserie Makes Perfect says
This looks fantastic! I love Hendrick's it is my favourite gin.
Those glasses and the shaker, you've styled this beautifully!
LizTD says
This is a wonderful cocktail and the proportions are great - not heavy handed on the simple syrup or chartreuse, which is unusual (I typically back off on the recommended simple syrup amount). I tripled the recipe for 2 cocktails. I don’t like minuscule drinks. Printing to add to my cocktail recipe collection.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
I'm so glad you liked it! I also often find cocktails too sweet to my taste, so I'm glad you found this balanced. And always yes to more cocktails – good call on increasing the batch!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
I love it when a recipe takes it's sweet time to reveal itself, through the twists and turns of life, insight and a friend's sharing. It all came together. And while I'm not much of a gin drinker, you've easily turned me into one with your luscious description of this cocktail. And I'm *always* up for trying a new cocktail. The photographs are simply etherial and I want to slurp down each one of those glasses! Yayayay for first prize! What a bonanza in that box of spices, Alanna! Totally unexpected. I'm putting them to good use directly! They are divine! Thank you my dear... totally made my day reading first place (whaaaaa?!!?!) :D (!!)
Alanna says
Awww! Your photo stunned me and Lisa of Spice Society, who pooled our favorites. I'm SO glad you like the spices - thanks for participating, Traci! I hope we can enjoy a cocktail together soon soon soon!
Maureen Sutherland Weiser says
OMG Alanna! This looks so stinking amazing!! Looks like I'll be purchasing some Chartreuse this weekend....and some Luxardo!!!!
Salvegging says
Gorgeous! Love chartreuse.
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness says
This cocktail looks so good! Your photos are gorgeous!
Tessa | Salted Plains says
I am so intrigued about Green Chartreuse now. Need to get my hands on a bottle! I'm such a sucker for a gin cocktail. This one is gorgeous. xo.
Allyson says
Seeing that mint makes me so excited for warm weather and backyard herbs! I'm eagerly awaiting my spice prize in the mail :) :)
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
This looks so cool and refreshing, what a gorgeous cocktail!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
Oh my gosh, this cocktail is SO pretty!
Almost too pretty to drink. But, it's Friday. So I will obviously be drinking 6 of these. Pinned!
Sarah says
That's some serious commitment, lady! A MUCH classier drink than anything else you can order up for St. Patty's day. And the most beautiful of photos - love the mismatched glassware!
Megan {Country Cleaver} says
Sign me up for anything ginny!!! Beautiful!
naomi says
Ha - I like my drinks the same way!! This drink though?! I have all the ingredients. It's happening tomorrow at 5 o' clock!
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says
Gorgeous!! And I love the varied glassware.
Jessica says
Wow -- 130 herbs and spices in green chartreuse! That's amazing! Sounds like it's worth every penny ^_^
Beautiful post Alanna! You're stirring up coupe envy in me all over again!
XO
Kate says
As always...stunning photos! This drink sounds complex and wonderful!
Katherine Warlund says
I experimented and had success substituting homemade mint jelly for the simple syrup. My jelly is made without mint essence... Only with actual mint leaves (then strained). Oh boy, is this ever good! Thanks for another enjoyable post and unique recipe AND gorgeous photography. I love your blog
Alanna says
Whoa, that sounds amazing! Thanks for the kind note. :)
Eden Passante says
This sounds like such a refreshing cocktail! Plus the color is so pretty!
MaryN says
Even though I am not a gin lover (except for the Hangar 1 Terroir) I wanted so bad to try one of these at Alembic! Sadly, they hadn't heard of it (but this is years later). Thanks for introducing me to such delicious things!
Patty says
It looks delicious, but I don't like anise so much. Is the taste of anise obvious in this cocktail?
Alanna says
Hi Patty! I also dislike anise; I find the flavor here more similar to fresh fennel root or tarragon, both of which I do like. If you can taste a tipple of green chartreuse at a bar before committing to a whole bottle, that might be wise! ;)
Vicky says
My boyfriend and I had this as our cooking cocktail(aka the cocktail we drink while we cook dinner) and it was so delicious and refreshing! I am a huge mint fan and the chartreuse really added some complexity without overwhelming as it has a tendency to do. We did up the chartreuse to .25 just to make it easier to measure. One word of caution: it is small but mighty drink! It hit me a bit hard (though I fully admit my tolerance is a bit low).
Alanna says
Haha, cooking cocktail - love it! I'm so glad you liked the drink if not the effects - I'm a lightweight, too, and I feel your pain.
Kelley Dunfield says
making this tomorrow. Yum Looking forward to it
Alanna says
Yay! Let me know how you like it. :)
Kelley Dunfield says
It was lovely. The mint and lime juice made it very fresh!!!
Cool Bev says
Caught this recipe on Pinterest - of all places. Picked up a fresh bottle of Chartreuse just to try it.
I sounds similar to a cocktail invented by the bartender at One Flew South - an excellent bar at, believe it or not, the Atlanta airport. She calls it 'Treuse or Dare, but it's more or less a White Lady with some Chartreuse: Gin, lemon, sugar, egg yolk, dash of Chartreuse. The egg white gives it a delicious mouth feel, and the gin and Chartreuse combo is so haunting (as you know!).
Alanna says
Hahaha, Treuse or Dare! That sounds delicious and yes, very similar!
Maria says
Have to try this! I have chocolate mint in the garden, which I can only imagine may be just perfect. The recipe sounds and looks beautiful.
Alanna says
Chocolate mint sounds amazing here! I also have a recipe on TBG for ice cream that uses fresh chocolate mint - highly recommended!
Maria says
As I amazingly had all of the ingredients at home(never happens), I made it last night. It was heavenly! The chocolate mint gave a nice depth to the flavor in this otherwise requisite and elegant cocktail. So delicious! Next, I must try your ice cream recipe. Thanks a bunch!
Alanna says
That sounds delicious! I'm so glad you liked it. :)
Olga says
Wonderful combination of ingredients. It look so yummy!
Alina says
Alanna, it looks so yummy! I love the step-by-step instructions, making it an easy recipe to follow!
Alanna says
Aw thanks Alina!
Mariya says
Alanna, this is really a great recipe. I will make this at the next chance i get.
Nataly says
That recipe looks so yummy! I'll have to try that one. Thanks for sharing.
Alanna says
Aw thank you!
LavenderBee says
What a beautiful refreshing cocktail, the mint is so bright and fresh tasting in this drink. It's a keeper. I did up the Chartreuse to 1/4 oz.
Have you ever tried the "Last Word" cocktail yet, it's really one of my favorites with gin, Chartreuse, lime, and Luxardo in even amounts.
Alanna says
I'm so glad you liked it! Funnily enough I haven't tried that one yet - I need to!
Jennifer Garland says
I stumbled across this today when telling someone about chartreuse, so we decided to make one after lunch. I can't tell you how much I loved it! We did think the chartreuse a bit lost, so we upped it to a quarter ounce, but I think that's one of those things that is always best added sparingly and increased to taste. Now I'm going through some of your other recipes because I'm certain you are my new favorite person! I can't wait to try it with chocolate mint as someone mentioned above.
Alanna says
Aw, I'm so glad you found your way here and that you're enjoying TBG! Now I'm craving a cocktail...
Tracy says
I love this cocktail! I’ve made it many, many times now so I wanted to send a word of thanks. The green chartreuse makes this cocktail shine.
Alanna says
Aw thank you so much for the sweet note! So glad you love this cocktail as much as I do. :)
J Davenjay says
Excellent cocktail! ! A must one for herbal lovers who love lime and mint. My fist cocktail made with Chartreuse is a winner! My second one was the Chartreuse Martini, even better!!
Alanna says
I'm so glad you loved it! Thanks a bunch for the note!
Anna says
We sell small bottles of Luxardo at The Corkery in lower Manhattan!! And small bottles of chartreuse for that matter!
Alanna says
Aha! So good to know! :)
Anna says
I just made it. It's fine.
Jennifer says
After visiting the Grenoble region of France and being introduced to Chartreuse I had been looking for a cocktail receipt to use my bottle. This recipe is awesome! The gin blend well with the fragrant notes in the chartreuse. It’s become one of my favorite drinks to enjoy! Splurge on some craft gin, it makes it so much better!
Alanna says
I'm so glad you like the recipe! Thanks for the rating and sweet words. I'd love to visit Grenoble some day. What kind of gin do you like for this?
Sergio Guajardo says
The Verdant Lady is a masterpiece! If you like The last Word, you’ll love this. If chartreuse is not your thing but like the refreshing beverage with squeezed citrus, try a Corpse Reviver 2.