Chartreuse Swizzle
A herbal and refreshing liqueur cocktail ∙ Swizzle ∙ 3 min ∙ 17% ABV ∙
The Chartreuse Swizzle is an IBA-listed swizzle of green Chartreuse, pineapple juice, lime juice and falernum, served over pebble ice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Pour all ingredients into the highball glass: Herbal liqueur (e.g., Green Chartreuse) 45 mlFresh pineapple juice 30 mlLime juice 22 mlFalernum liqueur 15 ml
- Fill the glass with 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
- Swizzle over pebble ice, spinning the stick or bar spoon between your palms until the outside of the glass frosts, about 10–15 seconds. Then top the glass up with more ice.
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 liqueur 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 bar, 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 2000s. The International Bartenders Association added it to its official cocktail list in 2024.
FAQ
What exactly is a Chartreuse Swizzle?
A tall cocktail of green Chartreuse, falernum, pineapple juice and lime juice, swizzled over pebble ice in a highball glass and garnished with mint and grated nutmeg.
What does a Chartreuse Swizzle taste like?
Herbal first: the slightly vegetal bite of Chartreuse, softened by sweet pineapple and the warm clove-and-ginger spice of falernum, with lime keeping it tart. It is closer to a tiki-style sour than a spirit-forward drink, and easier to drink than the Chartreuse suggests.
How strong is a Chartreuse Swizzle?
About 17% ABV. The 45 ml of Chartreuse is lengthened with pineapple and lime juice over plenty of ice, so it drinks as a long, moderate-strength cooler rather than a strong drink.
