A mysterious green liquor sparkling with clarity and infused with the healing powers of over a hundred different herbs—it sounds like a potion out of a fairy tale, but it’s a liquor known all over the world by the name Chartreuse. This sweet and herbal libation is mysteriously brewed by Carthusian monks in the mountains of France.
Here’s What You’ll Need
An assortment of fresh and dried herbs and botanicals
(see notes below)
Soft herbs: lemon balm, wild mint, hyssop, angelica, pineapple weed, elderflower, rose petals, violet leaves and flowers, sweet cicely leaves, thimbleberry leaves, alfalfa, bee balm, crabapple flowers, plum blossoms, clover, wild strawberry leaves and flowers, yarrow leaves and flowers, mallow leaves, wild hops, cleavers, wild ginger, spearmint, peppermint, lemon verbena, fennel, thyme, sage, chamomile, bay, lemongrass, basil, rosemary, etc.
Whole spices: juniper berries, pine needles, cottonwood buds, aspen buds, usnea, licorice fern rhizome, cloves, nutmeg, star anise, cinnamon, saffron, allspice, mace, etc.
Citrus peels (the thin outer zest only)
High-proof vodka (Pick something with a smooth finish; you don’t want the bottom shelf option as the harshness of low-quality vodka will overtake your artful blend!)
Sweetener of choice—I prefer honey or a simple sugar syrup
As you gather your herbs, spices, and other botanicals, divide them into two sections: hardy varieties that can withstand more soaking and tender varieties that will infuse very quickly (such as fresh herbs and flowers).
Divide your vodka into quarters. In one quarter, you will infuse the more hardy whole spices. Fill a small jar about a quarter of the way and then cover the rest of the way with vodka. Leave for a few days, smelling every day. When it smells good, it’s ready. Don’t infuse longer than a week.
Infuse the citrus peels in the other three-quarters of your vodka blend. Again, it is to taste, so use as much or as little as you’d like. Let sit for a day or two, then strain, discarding the citrus peels.
Wash and dry your herbs thoroughly. Assess them and create a balanced blend from what you have. Stronger herbs (such as sagebrush, mugwort, wormwood, thyme, or rosemary) should be used sparingly, while sweeter herbs (such as mint, lemon balm, fennel, or hyssop) can be used in greater amounts. Floral flavors (like wild rose and elderflower) can be added in fairly high amounts; since their flavors are more subtle, you’ll need more of them to shine through in the finished blend.
Once you’ve created a balanced herbal blend you are happy with, place it in a big jar and cover with the citrus-infused vodka. Tender green botanicals tend to infuse fairly quickly; let the vodka sit somewhere warmish for five to six hours, then take a small sample. If it tastes wonderful, you’re done. If you feel it could use a bit longer, let it continue to infuse, tasting every hour or two. Do not infuse longer than 24 hours.
Strain your herbal blend and pour a small bit into a glass. Add a few drops of the first spice-based infusion and taste. You want to add some complexity to your herbal blend without overwhelming it with the stronger spice blend, so test proportions until you find the sweet spot. Then add your spice blend to your herbal blend slowly until you have achieved that balance.
To turn your tincture into a true liquor, you’ll need to sweeten it. Add honey or simple syrup to taste—around one part sweetener to three parts alcohol is a good starting point, then add more sweetener if desired.
Serve chilled as an after-dinner digestive, or before your feast as an aperitif. This blend will change with aging, so enjoy it within a few months if you’d like to preserve the flavor! It can sometimes age really nicely, though, so if you have a bit left over in the fall or winter, it makes a lovely evening treat then as well.
A final tip: If you want to get this lovely green color, you’ll need to add a couple of special ingredients. (Most tinctures turn some sort of tan or brown.) Saffron imparts a lovely golden-yellow color as well as its famous flavor, and butterfly pea flowers give a blue tint with no flavor. Together, they make green. You do not need either to make a delicious brew, but if the presentation of a sparkling green liquor is important to you, this is a good way to get it.
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