Liqueurs

Yellow Chartreuse

Yellow Chartreuse is the Carthusians' second liqueur, bottled at 43% where green is 55%, with honey added and the same 130-plant tradition behind it. Developed in 1838, it is gentler and sweeter than green, and the two do not swap. In the Alaska, the Yellow Jacket and the Naked and Famous it sweetens the drink as well as flavouring it.

Quick Facts

ABV43% ABV

Legal categoryLiqueur

OriginFrance

Flavour Strengthmedium bold

SeasonYear-round

Our keeping timeYears unopened. Once opened, a year or more kept sealed and out of the light; the fruit and aromatics fade first.

Storage

Store upright in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Reseal tightly after use to preserve aromatics.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes change: check the bottle.

The ingredient

About Yellow Chartreuse

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

HerbalFloralHoneyed sweetnessLight spice

Tasting Notes

Soft herbal aroma with floral notes, gentle sweetness, and warming spice. Rounded and mellow compared to Green Chartreuse, with a smooth, lingering finish.

The second Chartreuse, sweetened with honey

The Carthusians make two liqueurs. Green, named in 1840, is the older and stronger. Yellow was developed in 1838 and made official in 1840, at 43% ABV, with honey added. Both are made in the Chartreuse mountains for the order, from the 130-plant tradition, and neither recipe has been published.

It is lower in strength and higher in sweetness than green

Yellow is not green turned down. The honey and lower strength change how it behaves, and a drink written for one comes out of balance with the other. Green Chartreuse is the one to reach for when a drink needs edge.

Yellow and green Chartreuse side by side

Strength

Yellow Chartreuse: 43%
Green Chartreuse: 55%

Honey

Yellow Chartreuse: Added
Green Chartreuse: Not listed

Introduced

Yellow Chartreuse: Developed 1838, official 1840
Green Chartreuse: Named 1840

In a drink

Yellow Chartreuse: Sweetens and binds; supports the spirit
Green Chartreuse: Leads; adds heat and sharp herbs

Typical measure in our recipes

Yellow Chartreuse: 22.5 to 25ml
Green Chartreuse: 15 to 22.5ml, or 45ml as a base

	Yellow Chartreuse	Green Chartreuse
Strength	43%	55%
Honey	Added	Not listed
Introduced	Developed 1838, official 1840	Named 1840
In a drink	Sweetens and binds; supports the spirit	Leads; adds heat and sharp herbs
Typical measure in our recipes	22.5 to 25ml	15 to 22.5ml, or 45ml as a base

It sweetens the drinks it is in

The Alaska is 50ml of gin, 25ml of yellow Chartreuse and orange bitters, stirred: the Chartreuse is its only sweetener. The Naked and Famous sets it level with mezcal, Aperol and lime. In the Diamondback it softens rye and calvados, and in the Yellow Jacket it gives the drink its colour.

The Widow's Kiss pairs it with Bénédictine, two honeyed herbal liqueurs over calvados, with the yellow joining the two halves of the drink.

It is scarce for the same reason as green

The order's 2021 decision not to increase production covers both liqueurs, so yellow is as hard to find as green. Kept dark, an opened bottle holds up for years.

Using it

Using Yellow Chartreuse

Usage

22.5ml in four of our five recipes, the Yellow Jacket, the Naked and Famous, the Diamondback and the Widow's Kiss, and 25ml in the Alaska. At those measures it is often the drink's only sweetener, as in the Diamondback, so there is no syrup to adjust.

Pro Tip

Stir an Alaska for the full 30 seconds the recipe gives. With 25ml of a 43% liqueur against 50ml of gin, the drink needs that dilution to read as a cocktail rather than a sweet neat pour.

Top Tips

Do not replace it with green at the same measure. The Alaska and the Naked and Famous turn hot and sharp with green.
It can take a bigger pour than green. At 22.5ml it carries a drink where green at that measure would take it over.
Equal parts suit it. The Naked and Famous is four measures of 22.5ml, and the yellow holds the mezcal and Aperol together.
Light and heat dull it; in a dark cupboard an open bottle lasts years, though its aroma softens.

Possible Substitutions

Bénédictine: Sweeter and less herbal

Production Method

Made in the Chartreuse mountains for the Carthusians, from the 130-plant tradition it shares with green Chartreuse, with honey added. The proportions are secret.

History & Context

Chartreuse says the yellow liqueur was developed in 1838 and made official in 1840, the year green Chartreuse was named. Both are made in the Chartreuse mountains for the Carthusian order, and both shared the supply limits the order set in 2021.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is yellow Chartreuse?

The Carthusians' honeyed herbal liqueur, 43% ABV, the honeyed partner to green Chartreuse. It is sweetened with honey and softer than green, and Chartreuse dates it to 1838. In drinks it is used at 22.5 to 25ml, often as the only sweetener, with gin, mezcal, tequila or calvados.

How is yellow Chartreuse different from green?

Yellow is 43% ABV with honey in it; green is 55%, drier and fiercer. The monks behind them are the same, and so is the 130-plant count. Yellow suits gentler spirits and supports a drink; green leads whatever it is in. A recipe written for one will not balance with the other.

Can I use green Chartreuse instead of yellow?

Not at the same measure. Green adds more alcohol and less sweetness, so an Alaska made with it is hotter and sharper. If you must, use about two thirds of the measure and add a little honey syrup to restore the sweetness, and accept that the drink will be closer to a different cocktail.

How strong is yellow Chartreuse?

43% ABV, which is what our recipes count. That is stronger than most gins, so a 25ml pour in an Alaska carries the alcohol of a standard measure of spirit. The honey hides some of it, so a two-ingredient stirred drink with it is stronger than it tastes.

What does yellow Chartreuse taste like?

Honeyed and herbal, with a softer, rounder sweetness than green and less of its peppery heat. Saffron is the note it is most often described by. In a drink it reads as sweetness with herbs behind it, and so it can replace a syrup in a sour.

What drinks use yellow Chartreuse?

In our recipes, the Alaska with gin, the Naked and Famous with mezcal and Aperol, the Yellow Jacket, the Diamondback with rye and calvados, and the Widow's Kiss with calvados and Bénédictine. In each it is 22.5 or 25ml, the drink's herbs and much of its sweetness.

Make something

Made with Yellow Chartreuse

Featured In These Cocktails

Yellow Jacket Alaska Naked and Famous Widow’s Kiss Diamondback

Often Used With

Updated 10 October 2026

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