Subscribe to Summit Sips
Fan
Frost adorns the Chartreuse Swizzle
“A planter, apparently, does not consider he has had a drink unless it contains at least seven ingredients, and I’m not saying, mind you, that he isn’t right. The man behind the bar told us the things were called Green Swizzles; and, if ever I marry and have a son, Green Swizzle Wooster is the name that will go down in the register.”
The exhibition at Wembley was probably very similar to our State Fair, but while Bertie gets Green Swizzles in the 1920s, the best we have today is probably that guy making fudge at the Grandstand. Still, can’t we make our own Green Swizzles?
I’m not the first person to consider the idea, but to pull it off, you need a swizzle stick and something in the recipe to make it green. We have the swizzle stick covered in the last post (and I’m giving one away down below). For the color, there are a few possibilities. Midori quickly comes to mind, but that didn’t exist until 1978, and I’d rather be faithful to the story, even if the drink is pure fiction.
Crème de menthe is another possibility, and it’s the one David Wondrich chose when he was searching for a solution. Mr. Wondrich was, after all, able to track down a 1930 photograph of a man drinking a Green Swizzle in Trinidad to prove that the drink did indeed exist. And yet, I think he could have considered another green spirit instead of créme de menthe.
Chartreuse Swizzle
1.25 oz Green Chartreuse
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz lime juice
1/2 oz falernumSwizzle with crushed ice until frost appears on the glass. Add more crushed ice and garnish with mint sprigs and freshly grated nutmeg.
Marco Dionysos of Clock Bar in San Francisco invented this cocktail in 2003, but Green Chartreuse has been around since 1764. I like to believe that Bertie Wooster’s Green Swizzle was our Chartreuse Swizzle—a drink that is compounded using West Indian flavors and fruit, old world spirits and the swizzle technique to mesmerizing effect.
Of course, this swizzle doesn’t have seven ingredients! No problem. Just add a little rum and a few dashes of Angostura Bitters. If you count the mint, you’re there. I also recommend using your own falernum. It’s easy to make, it only takes a few minutes of work and it will be ready the next day.
Free Swizzle Stick!
I’d really like to know what you think. Did you make some falernum? Are you going to? Is there a version of this drink you want to share? Have you had another type of swizzle before? Was it green? Anyone who leaves a comment below over the next week will qualify for a drawing. Next week, I’ll put all the names in a hat and pick a lucky winner. I will then contact you for an address and send out this hand-crafted swizzle stick! Everyone else will have to make their own or swizzle with their bar spoon.
The Delores Park Swizzle was rather tasty. Tequila, sherry, ginger syrup, falernum, and lime topped with mint and aromatic bitters:
http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2010/08/delores-park-swizzle.html
In Bertie Wooster’s 1920s slang, ‘rummy’ means ‘odd’ or ‘peculiar’, and Bertie uses the word countless times throughout his stories. But perhaps Wodehouse intended a double entendre of literal and figurative meanings of ‘rummy’ in ‘The Rummy Affair of Old Biffy’ — which included a vital role for this drink. Thanks for sleuthing out the recipe! Going to have to try one of these …
Falernum sounds intriguing – I’ll try it.
I have been reading and trying your mixology explorations for awhile now. I could spend all day researching and embracing, not only your recipes, but foods that complement them. (unless, of course, it is a cocktail that needs to be consumed on its own). Thanks for the great information on the swizzle stick the Falernum, and all of you other Mixologistic Magic.
Subbing in some banks 5 island rum for the chartreuse makes an awesome variation of this drink. And it has to be Banks rum!
1oz green chartreuse
1oz banks 5 island rum
11/2oz pineapple juice
1/2oz pineapple syrup
1/4oz falernum
1oz lime
swizzle
Frederic, I tried the Delores Park after reading your description. I think a better Amontillado would have made the drink, as I kept rounding back to the flavors of the less expensive sherry I used. I need to try the Queen’s Park next I suppose.
Luke, thanks for sharing the story. It was fun to find out that others have also pondered the Rummy Affair.
Kathy, good luck on your falernum. It’s one of the easier projects. I only wish more recipes called for it.
By the way, looks like one of you will be getting a swizzle stick if nobody else comments. That’s pretty decent odds!
Thanks, Monica!
butters, you are bumping up the alcohol with the rum–part of my plan to reach 7 ingredients. You also upped the ante with pineapple syrup. What about the Angostura? Keep it or leave it? Either way, Bertie Wooster would probably approve.
honestly I think the idea of the angostura is awesome, but I felt it got lost. I would love to see this drink with a bitter edge, but don’t know how much chartreuse I am willing to experiment with as this is a fantastic drink to begin with. It could be really fun to see how much bitters you could use and I think next time I am gonna try Fee Bros old fashioned.
I discovered the banks and chartreuse match as a result of subbing in banks for gin in a last word variation. banks is really awesome stuff! it’s like smith & cross lite.
butters, perhaps the Ango getting lost is the whole point in adding it. Rather than rising to prominence, it acts as a “seasoning” to bring the other ingredients together like it does in a Manhattan. Certainly, cocktail bitters added in dashes to any recipe won’t actually make the drink bitter.
Sounds like I need to track down some Banks. The problem I have with expanding my rum selection is that it disappears too fast!
very true about the bitters acting as a seasoning. As a cook in a restaurant I sometimes think too much about certain ingredients in my cocktails. Banks is something you want!
Ok, the official drawing went like this:
First, I cut up half of an old version of my house cocktail menu into little squares of paper. I then put each name of everyone who commented here on a square that I folded and placed into a hat. I then shook the hat to mix them up and had my wife pull one out. And the winner is. . .
BUTTERS! Thanks everyone for posting comments. Butters, I will contact you via email, or please use the contact form here to send me a message with your mailing address so I can send you the swizzle stick! YOU WON!