Chartreuse Swizzle
Swizzle ∙ 3 min ∙ 15.1% ABV ∙
The Chartreuse Swizzle is an IBA-listed herbal swizzle of green Chartreuse, pineapple and lime juice and falernum over crushed ice. Herbal and vegetal from the Chartreuse, cut by bright pineapple and lime with a warm falernum spice note, finishing cool under a dusting of nutmeg.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Pour all ingredients: Herbal liqueur (e.g., Green Chartreuse) 45 mlFresh pineapple juice 30 mlLime juice 22 mlFalernum liqueur 15 ml into the tall glass
- Add more pebble ice
- Swizzle vigorously with the help of a swizzle stick (or cocktail spoon)
- Complete by filling the glass with more pebble ice
- Garnish with mint sprigs and grated nutmeg
Tips
- Pack the highball completely with crushed ice, then insert a bar spoon or swizzle stick and spin briskly between palms until the outside of the glass frosts, about 10-15 seconds.
- Build Chartreuse, pineapple juice, lime juice, and falernum directly over the crushed ice rather than shaking first, so swizzling controls dilution and chill.
History
The Chartreuse Swizzle was invented in 2003 by San Francisco bartender Marcovaldo Dionysos for an annual cocktail competition sponsored by the Chartreuse liqueur brand, which he had entered every year since 1999.
Dionysos combined green Chartreuse with velvet falernum — a spiced Caribbean syrup he had recently read about and found obscure at the time — along with pineapple and lime juice, drawing on the rum-based swizzle drinks of the Caribbean for its form and mixing technique.
The drink won the competition and earned Dionysos a mountain bike, after which he added it to the menu at Harry Denton's Starlight Room, the San Francisco bar where he worked. It sold modestly there but did not gain wider attention until 2008, when it appeared on the opening menu of Clock Bar, chef Michael Mina's San Francisco restaurant, where Dionysos had become bar manager.
From around 2010 the cocktail spread internationally, appearing on bar menus worldwide, and it is credited, alongside the Last Word, with helping revive Chartreuse's popularity and sales in the early 2000s. The International Bartenders Association added it to its official cocktail list in 2024.
FAQ
What exactly is a Chartreuse Swizzle?
It is a tall, swizzled cocktail built on green Chartreuse, with falernum, pineapple juice, and fresh lime juice, served over crushed ice in a Collins glass. It is garnished with a pineapple wedge, a maraschino cherry, and grated nutmeg, and comes in at about 15% ABV and 258 calories per serving.
What does a Chartreuse Swizzle taste like?
It leads with the herbal, slightly vegetal bite of Chartreuse, softened by sweet pineapple and the warm clove-and-ginger spice of falernum, with lime cutting through for a tart, refreshing finish. It is lighter-bodied than a spirit-forward cocktail, closer to a tiki-style sour, and drinks easier than its herbal backbone might suggest.
How strong is a Chartreuse Swizzle?
It comes in at about 15% ABV, which is lighter than most spirit-based cocktails since it is built on a liqueur rather than a full-proof base spirit. The pineapple, falernum, and lime also add volume without adding alcohol, so it drinks as a long, moderate-strength cooler rather than a strong drink.
What does Chartreuse mix well with?
Green Chartreuse pairs well with tropical and citrus flavors, since its herbal intensity needs sweetness and acidity to balance it, which is why it works with pineapple, falernum, and lime in this build. It also pairs classically with gin and maraschino liqueur, as in the Last Word.
