Chartreuse Swizzle
Herbal green Chartreuse meets pineapple, lime and spicy falernum in an ice-cold swizzle full of crushed ice.
Ingredients
- Green Chartreuse45 ml
- Falernume.g. Velvet Falernum15 ml
- Lime juice, freshly squeezed22.5 ml
- Pineapple juice, freshly squeezed30 ml
- Ice, crushed icefill the glass
- Mint, for garnish (optional)1 sprig
- Lime, for garnish (optional)1 wheel
Method
- Fill the glass halfway with crushed ice.
- Add the green Chartreuse, pineapple juice, lime juice and falernum directly to the glass.
- Swizzle vigorously with a swizzle stick or bar spoon until the outside of the glass frosts.
- Top with more crushed ice and swizzle briefly again if needed.
- Garnish with mint, a lime wheel and, if you have it, freshly grated nutmeg.
Credit Marcovaldo Dionysos, 2003
About this drink
Marcovaldo Dionysos created the drink in 2003 as a tribute to tiki’s swizzle technique, using Chartreuse’s monastic herbaceousness as a counterpoint to the tropical flavours. It quickly became a modern classic and now appears on the IBA’s list of recognised cocktails. The name swizzle comes from the distinctive stirring motion that gives the drink its frosted surface.
Questions and answers
What is the swizzle technique?
Rotate a swizzle stick or bar spoon rapidly up and down in the glass with crushed ice, until the outside frosts. It chills and mixes the drink without diluting it as much as a shaker would.
Can you substitute falernum?
A mixture of simple syrup with a hint of lime or almond flavour comes closest, but falernum’s spicy, lime-led sweetness is quite unique. If you do not have a bottle, orgeat is the next-best route.
