7 Great Green Liqueurs that Aren't Chartreuse
Cool kids love Chartreuse, the herbal liqueur adored by bartenders and customers alike, a version of which has been made by Carthusian monks in Southeast France since at least the 1700s. The word for the yellow green color came second, named for La Grande Chartreuse, the monastery where the liqueur originated. Chartreuse’s particular herbal flavor profile, viscous texture, and high proof make it a crucial ingredient in resurging cocktail classics like the Alaska (in its yellow, honeyed, lower ABV form) and the Bijou, and neo-classics like the Naked and Famous and the Last Word.
With a Chartreuse shortage that was reported by the New York Times in 2023, and the potential for tariffs impacting imports, US bartenders are thirsting for a replacement to use in their cocktails, and to satisfy the industry regulars and bartender’s-handshake-takers in the house.
Chartreuse cocktail photo credit depositphotos
In the Mediterranean, folks have been making infusions and liqueurs from native botanicals for centuries. Prized for their diverse flavor profiles, but also for their medicinal qualities, herbs and plants are carefully collected and dried to add to a base of neutral spirit or wine. In our search of the bar shelves for all things green, we discovered many hits (and a few misses) to scratch the herbal itch, including some different flavors that may take your mixology in a whole new direction.
If you're looking for a substitute for Chartreuse, keep in mind that the green version is 55% ABV, which is higher than all but one of these bottles.
Bordiga Centum Herbis
28% ABV $39.99
Bordiga Centum Herbis
This Alpine-style herbal bitter from Italy’s Piedmont region contains dozens (if not 100, as the Latin name implies) of local herbs, foraged at high altitude, then individually infused for 3-5 weeks before blending. This fresh, bright, low alcohol version leads with mint and genepy, its floral herbaceousness given depth with traditional bittering from gentian and cinchona bark. Although its prominent cooler flavor profile might not work as a direct sub for the richness and complexity of Chartreuse, it would mix beautifully with lemonade or other citrus-y spritzes and highballs.
Alpe Genepy
38% ABV $38.99
Alpe Genepy
The word Génépy denotes the particular botanical, also known as Artemisia Genepi, that this traditional Alpine spirit, made in Italy, and France, is made from. The flowers and stems are harvested in August, infused with other botanicals, and redistilled. Its straw color comes from the stems and flowers of this scrappy plant, which used to be foraged wild but is now cultivated. Italians drink it after dinner, but it positively sings in a White Negroni with gin and vermouth bianco.
Luxardo del Santo
40% ABV $34.99
Luxardo del Santo
Luxardo has skin in the game when Chartreuse is being poured. The equal measure of maraschino in a classic Last Word would sink without its green counterpart. Their contribution to the herbal liqueur pool, unfortunately, lacks complexity–the flavor reads more like a lime lollipop than anything as gorgeous as the OG That said, it is often described as "approachable," so perhaps think of it as a substitute for Chartreuse, for people who don't really like Chartreuse.
Dolin Génépy le Chamois
45% ABV $36.99
Dolin Génépy le Chamois
We included two versions of Génépy because they are the bartender’s favorite substitution for Chartreuse in most cocktails. The Dolin, from the Savoie, mimics the body that bartenders seek from Chartreuse, partly because of its higher ABV. Hikers and skiers in the French Alps drink it on the rocks or in highballs, or to spike hot chocolate after a cold day on the slopes.
Faccia Bruto Centerbe
45% ABV $45
Faccia Bruto Centerbe
Brooklyn’s Patrick Miller makes this bracing, unique take with a mix of fresh and dried herbs including tarragon, lemon balm, nettles, and bay, and the result is a savory digestif with a distinct anise note. The high ABV and complex herbal mix send it to Chartreuse’s neighborhood, and the freshness would add a not unwelcome brightness to a cocktail like a Last Word, or a tequila based Ultima Palabra.
Fontbonne 1874
45% ABV $59.99
Fontbonne 1874
Terlato Wine Group brought this heritage 1874 spirit from Dijon, France back to life in 2024. “It’s a cool substitute for chartreuse, but it’s its own thing,” says Fatima Butler, President of the Chicago Chapter of the USBG. “It’s more anise-y, not as viscous, not as green.” She loves Fontbonne in a strong, stirred riff on the Champs d’Elysée cocktail with cognac, lemon juice or citric acid, and Angostura bitters.
Green Key Herbal Elixir
55% ABV $49.99
Green Key Herbal Elixir
Chicago’s Michael McAvena loves Chartreuse, and decided to create Green Key as his second spirit after the success of Misoo, the Italian-style red bitter apertivo he developed with his wife Soo Choi. They tinkered with the formula for two years, he says, “literally pulling things out of our kitchen cabinets and making a huge mess.” They landed on a collection of dozens of botanicals that they macerate like the monks do (instead of using extracts), figured out a way to replicate the olive green color of Chartreuse naturally using butterfly pea flower, pumped up the ABV to a boozy 55%, and, voila, this deeply herbal, full bodied liqueur was born.