Chartreuse: green vs yellow and how to use it

Chartreuse is a French herbal liqueur made by Carthusian monks, sold as a stronger green bottling and a milder, sweeter yellow one. CBC Liquors in Westford carries CHARTREUSE Green Liqueur, and our Chartreuse page shows what is in stock today. Below is how the two colors differ, how to drink them, and how to get a bottle from us.

What is Chartreuse?

Chartreuse is a liqueur made in France by the Carthusian order, a community of monks. The recipe is built on a large mix of herbs, plants and flowers, which is why a single sip tastes of so many things at once: pine, mint, anise, citrus peel, honey and spice, all running together.

The liqueur takes its name from the Chartreuse mountains, where the order has its home monastery. The color chartreuse, that yellow-green shade, is named after the liqueur rather than the other way around.

It is a liqueur, not a plain spirit. That means it is sweetened, and it sits in the same family as other herbal and bitter-sweet bottles you may know. If you are browsing for a shelf of similar drinks, our liqueur section is the place to start.

What is the difference between green and yellow Chartreuse?

The two bottlings share a family resemblance but taste quite different. Green Chartreuse is the original and the stronger of the two, at 55 percent alcohol by volume, or 110 proof. It is sharply herbal and intense, with a dry, resinous edge under the sweetness.

Yellow Chartreuse is lighter in strength, at 40 percent alcohol by volume, or 80 proof. It is rounder and gentler, with more honey, saffron and citrus, and less of the cutting herbal punch.

Neither one is a better bottle. Green suits drinks where you want the herbs to stand up and be noticed. Yellow suits drinks where you want warmth and sweetness without the bite. If you are buying your first bottle and plan to sip it or use it in a cocktail, think about which of those two moods you want.

What does Chartreuse taste like, and how do you drink it?

Expect a bold, complex flavor that surprises people the first time. Green is the more demanding of the two: concentrated, a little medicinal-smelling to some noses, and very long on the finish. Yellow is easier to like straight away.

Because green is so strong in both flavor and proof, many people sip it in a small pour, either neat or over a large cube of ice, and take their time. A splash of cold water or a single ice cube opens it up and softens the edge.

You can also serve it as an after-dinner drink in a small glass, which is how the French have long served herbal liqueurs. A warm cup of hot chocolate with a measure of green Chartreuse stirred in is another traditional way to use it on a cold New England evening. Pour with care, since a little goes a long way.

Which cocktails use Chartreuse?

Chartreuse has become a staple of classic and modern cocktail menus, and a bottle at home goes surprisingly far because most recipes call for only a small measure.

The best known is the Last Word, an equal-parts drink of green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, lime juice and gin. It is sharp, herbal and sour in equal measure, and a good test of whether you like the liqueur at all. The Bijou is another gin drink, pairing gin with Chartreuse and sweet vermouth.

For something longer, the Chartreuse swizzle combines green Chartreuse with pineapple juice, lime and a touch of falernum over crushed ice. The Naked and Famous uses mezcal alongside Chartreuse, Aperol and lime. Yellow Chartreuse turns up in lighter drinks that lean on citrus and honey.

If you are building a drink that needs lime, soda or juice alongside it, our mixers section covers the supporting ingredients.

How should you store an open bottle?

Chartreuse is high in alcohol and sugar, so an opened bottle keeps for a long time. You do not need to refrigerate it. Keep it upright with the cap tightly on, away from heat and direct sunlight, in a cupboard or on a bar shelf.

Over many months an open bottle can slowly lose some brightness in its aroma, but it does not spoil the way wine does. This is one reason a single bottle makes sense for a home bar even if you only reach for it now and then.

If you plan to give a bottle as a gift, a sealed bottle kept in its box is easy to store until the day.

What Chartreuse does CBC Liquors carry in Westford?

We carry CHARTREUSE Green Liqueur, the stronger of the two bottlings, and it is on the shelf at 142 Littleton Rd in Westford. The brand page lists the Chartreuse bottles we have in stock today, so check it before you drive over, because stock changes.

The liqueur sits among a large catalogue: 4,586 products in stock across 1,882 brands, spread over 108 categories with something on the shelf. If you are pairing Chartreuse with a base spirit for a cocktail, you can find the bourbon and tequila sections in the same shop, so one trip covers the bottle and what goes in the glass.

We are open Sunday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Our Google rating is 4.7 out of 5 from 339 reviews.

Can you get Chartreuse if you live outside Westford?

Yes, we serve the towns around us. Besides walking in, we offer pickup, delivery and shipping. Pickup hours match our store hours. Delivery hours run slightly shorter: Sunday 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM.

We also serve Chelmsford, Carlisle, Littleton, Acton, Tyngsborough, Lowell, Billerica, Boxborough and Dunstable. If you are in Chelmsford, Acton, Littleton or Lowell, those town pages explain delivery to your area, and the delivery areas page lists the rest.

Because stock moves, look at the Chartreuse brand page first, then pick the way that suits you: come in, pick up, or have it delivered.