Chartreuse is a common French digestif usually enjoyed on the rocks. But, if you want to sip on something more gentle after a lovely meal with friends, try this fresh cocktail to settle your belly.
A few years back, I traveled to the French Alps. It was the first time I visited the French Mountains. A few days in, post dinner, a bottle of Chartreuse was placed on the table. Chartreuse is a common after dinner drink in France usually enjoyed straight, on ice. I tried, I really did, but with its intense green colour, earthy tones and potent flavour, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to drink it straight. I returned home from that trip with my own bottle of Chartreuse, determined to develop a palate for it. Three years later, I’m still working my way through the bottle, tucking it into cocktails whenever I can, and if I’m feeling bold, sipping on a small glass post dinner.
When I decided to join in on a cocktail themed event, I immediately knew my drink had to have chartreuse as the base. From there, I added some puréed summer cucumbers , and some gin (cucumber + gin = always). Then a little lime and simple syrup to round off the flavours.
I urge you to go buy yourself a bottle of Chartreuse, and start experimenting with it. Note that there are 3 different varieties, green being the most common. An added note about the simple syrup. I’d recommend cooking up a full batch and storing it in the fridge in a glass jar — you never know when you’re going to want to spontaneously whip up a fancy cocktail!
Ingredients
- 1 oz Chartreuse
- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz simple syrup
- juice from 1 lime
- 2-3 oz cucumber juice see below
- cucumber slices for serving
cucumber juice
- 2 small summer cucumbers or half a large cucumber
Instructions
- To make the cucumber juice -- peel and roughly chop your cucumber, then add it to a blender (preferably <g class="gr_ gr_632 gr-alert gr_spell gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="632" data-gr-id="632">high speed</g>). Blend until smooth. Be sure there is enough cucumber in the blender to get it whizzing. Set aside for 30 minutes to let the froth settle, then strain through a fine mesh sieve.
- For the cocktail, combine all the ingredients in a shaker. Add a handful of ice and shake vigorously. Serve immediately with a few extra slices of cucumber.
