January 3rd, 2007

Green Ghost

I discovered a great way to make a resolution: on New Year’s eve, introduce yourself to a cocktail you’ve never tried before, and vow to drink more of it. I was drinking a Green Ghost when the fireworks went off over the Charles at midnight on January 1, 2007. Gin, green Chartreuse and fresh lime, chilled and straight up. Both the color and flavor of the cocktail were otherworldly, sending a chill up my spine while stopping me in my tracks. I promised myself more Green Ghosts in 2007. Then I broadened my scope — more Chartreuse cocktails in 2007. Given that there are 121 recipes for cocktails containing either green or yellow Chartreuse on the Internet Cocktail Database, I’ve already got nearly half the year covered.

Speaking of Chartreuse, have you ever tried the really good stuff, the stuff that’s aged in oak and comes in the bottles with the plain-looking labels? I was at Green Street (do you sense a theme here?) a couple of nights before New Year’s and got to try side-by-side samples of regular (about $45/bottle) and aged ($95 or more) green Chartreuse. Now I get why people spend the big bucks for the latter. Somehow, the herbaceousness and strength of the aged liqueur were both subtler and more intense, giving the sensation of a vapor rather than a liquid. Strange, wonderful stuff.

Permalink | Filed under Gin, Liqueur |

5 Responses to “Green Ghost”

  1. Michael Dietsch

    That’s a great drink. Thanks for the pointer! I blogged it up, too, if you don’t mind, and gave you credit: […] Inspired by drinkboston.com, I decided to try a Green Ghost, since I had everything on hand the day I read Lauren Clark’s post. We loved this drink. Thanks, Lauren! […]

  2. ljclark

    Thanks, Michael. I’m glad I inspired you and that you liked the Green Ghost. As for credit, I got the recipe straight from CocktailDB.com.

  3. Rick

    Enjoying a Green Ghost as I write – quite a calming cocktail, yet it leaves a brightness at the end of every sip. Good find!

  4. Stephen

    a chartreuse cocktail I came up with a while ago was the “le verte heure” or (green hour) which used to be the absinthe drinking happy hour in france….but chartreuse is the new absinthe…. and i keep the green theme going….

    chartreuese watered down with gin….
    then for the sour component….
    kiwi syrup balanced with lime juice keeping in mind the sugars of the chartreuse….

    we ran this cocktail for a while @ restaurant dante…. very successful but retired it until the summer comes back….cheers.

  5. The Cocktail Chronicles » Blog Archive » MxMo XVII: Bring on the Blog Love

    […] So, if you’ve been thrilling to Richmond Gimlets or knocking back Bourbon Lancers or Green Ghosts ever since you read about them online, let’s hear about it. Just get your post up by the close of Monday, July 16, toss a note in the comment section of this post, and tune in to see the roundup. […]

Leave a Reply