Chartreuse: Taste the Shades of Green. Where to Drink Chartreuse in Seattle

Chefs and bartenders love this herbal liqueur. And now, so do I.

Canon’s Chartreuse tap.

You don’t sit down at a bar and order a shot of Chartreuse, like you would Fireball. You don’t pound it or shoot it (though I’m sure some do), you savor it, you analyze it, swish it around in your mouth to decipher the mysterious herbal components that emerge as it warms or chills. Not unlike wine, there are connoisseurs of Chartreuse—almost fanatics of the green drink.

Seattle’s best-known association with the liqueur might be Murray Stenson. His addition of the Last Word–a Prohibition-era Chartreuse concoction with gin, lime, and maraschino–to the cocktail list at Zig Zag Cafe caused a resurgence that swept the country. But it all started with an age-old manuscript and an order of monks in France.

The recipe, introduced to the monks in 1605, is guarded. Only two monks of the Carthusian order know the combination of the 130 bits of greenery it takes to make this liqueur. Originally called “The Elixir of Long Life” at 138 proof, it was thought to have medicinal properties. The long, colorful history of the liqueur is ripe for a medieval-fantasy novel rendition.

Bar manager Jamie Boudreau of Canon, got as close as one can get without taking a vow of silence during his visit to the distillery in Voiron, France. This may sound like a tall tale, but Boudreau’s got some guts, so I wouldn’t put it past him: On his tour he apparently took a wrong turn and happened upon an open door. He peeked in and saw piles of bags; a strong aroma drifted his way. Boudreau was soon shooed along with a warning that the herb room was strictly off limits. He still wishes he’d had just a little more time to investigate, just a few seconds more and the mystery may have unraveled right in front of him.

Suffice to say, Boudreau is a huge fan: “I don’t like finishing a meal without having Chartreuse. That’s my dessert,” he says, “try it with a little bite of chocolate, it’s heaven.” So what is it about this liqueur that creates this obsessive love affair? Since when do we here in the Northwest indulge in something with vague ingredients like “plants”? Knowing the varietals, origins, and the exact region/farm/acre where our greens were picked is practically a local sport. For this drink, we make an exception; the mystery is all a big part of the adoration. And like so many spirited developments, it seems the popularity of this quaff comes back to the bartenders and chefs who make it available to us civilians. 

Chartreuse’s specific fan base isn’t easy to pinpoint, but the super hardcore have tattoos of the label. They drink it with their eyes closed to really taste it. Not to steal absinthe’s lexicon, but Chartreuse lovers’ devotion verges on green mania.

And I have to admit, I can’t stop thinking about it since I first tried it with Boudreau. He gave me three tastes: traditional green at 110 proof, from the tap at 90 proof (Boudreau adds a little extra water to the tap variety to let the herbal flavors really shine) and a genepi liqueur (an herb from the Alps in the same family as wormwood). As you sip you start to wonder: What’s that herb? Oh, it’s spicy, now sweet. Is that tarragon, no, anise! Must taste it again. I need to know where these flavors are coming from. Sage? It’s different every time. These monks are brilliant. Someone please get me that recipe. Or just another shot of Chartreuse—that’ll do.

 Some might find Chartreuse “challenging,” as Anthony Bourdain did on The Layover in Seattle. Whereas on the next bar stool over, Matt Dillon called it the “greatest stuff on earth.” Maybe partly for that euphoric buzz that comes along with it. I did notice a warm, everything-is-going-to-be-fine feeling come over me. Boudreau did seem exceptionally happy after our session and advises a shot before bed for vivid dreams. I’m a convert. I think I may have to drink it everyday. 

Find the shades of green at some of these Chartreuse-loving establishments:

Canon
Along with Chartreuse on tap, find ten different expressions of the liqueur on the captain’s list, many  Boudreau brought back with him from his trip to France. Taste the mellowness of the yellow or the VEP versions aged in oak, which allows the sugars to crystallize causing a dryer mouth feel. 

Le Pichet
Head chef and “booze purist” Jack Spiess prefers a Chartreuse VEP neat on the side of chocolat chaud. Find the three most popular kinds here: green, yellow, and VEP. Spiess says most of the clientele at the French bistro prefer the liqueur as a digestif; when in France, right? But expect to see a new Chartreuse cocktail on the list this summer. 

Zig Zag Cafe
The locale of the comeback of “The Last Word.” Stenson is no longer here to mix it up for you, but I’m sure Erik, Ben, and the crew can do it justice.   

Rob Roy
Where Bourdain, Dillon, and Hines had a post-Canlis drink on The Layover. Bourdain was a little bit of a big baby about the bitterness, while Dillon drank it down with a serene smile.

 

 

Special Thanks to Seattle Met Magazine

Hitting the Town Tonight? Where to Drink Like Don Draper in Seattle

Where we think Mad Men’s handsome antihero would imbibe on a business trip to Seattle.

Old school. Photo via AMC.

 

Mad Men returns for its sixth season Sunday night. And while creator Matthew Weiner is renowned for his hatred of spoilers, it’s unlikely Don Draper will be flying to Seattle to pitch Boeing, or that Pete Campbell will make the prescient observation that people might like to carry their hangover-aiding coffee around in nifty portable cups with fake Italian names. But a girl can dream, right?

In said dream, the scene opens in Seattle with the obvious shots of the (relatively new) Space Needle and monorail. Don Draper and Roger Sterling emerge from the airport, looking fly in their suits and thirsty for something “big and brown.” Don’s words exactly.  In season five, Don was a changed man, subdued and faithful to his new bride, but now he’s in a different time zone and ready to party with the perfect wingman—a silver fox with a gift for one-liners. Let’s follow them as they bar hop to some classic spots of the 60s and some newer, old school–inspired spots of today in true ad man style:

Business Lunch: The Metropolitan Grill
Don’t even think about ordering an ice tea at this meeting. It’s pitchers of Bloody Marys to start. The perfect shot: the duo in one of these high-backed booths, ordering prime porterhouse medium rare, and flambé bananas Foster to finish. And closing, always closing. After selling Peter Canlis on opening a second location by the Space Needle (too bad he didn’t meet with them back in the day), they move on to (an) afternoon (of) cocktails.

Happy Hour: The Gerald
Though happy hour pricing hadn’t quite caught on yet in the Draper days, he’s always up for a pre-dinner drink. And this midcentury-styled Ballard cocktail bar even has a drink named after him: The Draper point. It’s bourbon, black tea, and apricot liqueur. Don won’t want one—he’s modest—but Roger will order a round for the whole bar. If having him sitting at the bar drinking his namesake isn’t good advertising, I don’t know what is.  

Appetizers: Ballard Annex Oyster House
Though the opium den from the Thaiku days might have been Don’s first pick for a secluded drink (or consorting with a raven-haired Nordstrom heir, if only they weren’t all blonde dudes), the back-bar booth in this new East Coast-styled oyster house will do just fine. The funky wood-detailed wall treatment and ’60s-style lamps add a period-correct backdrop. It’s a seafood feast:  oysters Rockefeller, whole Maine lobster from the tank, and rounds of martinis. No one can rock that bib like the Draper does. 

Main course: Canlis
They couldn’t possibly not hit Seattle’s most iconic fine dining restaurant. Now that Don and Roger are best buds with Mr. Canlis, it’s time for the duck (a newer classic from chef Jason Franey, but with a grandiose presentation these gents would appreciate) and a bottle of Chateau Margaux while taking in the amazing views.

Dessert: Vito’s
It’s over to Pill Hill for tiramisu and entertainment in a room that looks much like it did in the Draper days, comoplete with red vinyl booths and dark wooden walls. Jazz plays as a breathy lounge singer serenades the patrons. Cigarette smoke creates a hazy light. Wait Don, you can’t smoke in here.   

After dinner drinks:  Sun Liquor
Perfect for a late-night rendezvous with dim lighting and way better versions of ’60s-appropriate mai tais; there probably weren’t too many places using fresh-squeezed juices back then. By now, Don’s moved on to the brown stuff and the Old Fashioned here could be one of the best in the city.  

Nightcap:  Canon
Though the truffle Old Fashioned might be a little too experimental for a man not exactly known for embracing the new, there’s a captain’s list over 70 pages long to satisfy any drinker. Draper might go for the 1936 Canadian club neat at $525 a pop. I’m sure he’d just pass the check right on over in Sterling’s direction.  

…Don and Roger climb out of cab outside the Fairmont hotel…back then known simply as the Olympic. They stagger up to the golden doors and we fade to black.

 

Special Thanks to Seattle Met Magazine

Where Bartenders Drink in Seattle

SLIDESHOW: Where Bartenders Drink in Seattle, WA

Some of Seattle’s best bartenders are also some of the city’s best drinkers, and when these folks drink, they know where to go for a tipple. We’ve rounded up a group of people who know their beverages and aren’t afraid to spill the beans on where to find the good stuff, whether you’re in the mood for a divey bar or a sophisticated spot to sip wine.

Check out the slideshow to see where they’re bellying up, or just follow the map and find yourself swigging at some of the Emerald City’s finest drinking establishments.

View Where Bartenders Drink in Seattle in a map.

 

Thanks to seriouseats.com