Ah, the green elixir at the heart of Last Words and Bijous and swizzles, a liqueur beloved across the world and crafted by dedicated monks for centuries. How versatile. How singular. I’m not talking about Chartreuse, by the way.
While bartenders have been plagued by Chartreuse supply issues and hunting for alternatives from new upstarts (or making their own), one liqueur has quietly been waiting in the wings. Dutch-born Boomsma Claerkampster Cloosterbitter is just as pedigreed—it’s been around since the 1400s—and as nuanced in flavor, albeit milder and lower in ABV.
For Alec Bales, lead bartender at Atlanta’s Ticonderoga Club, that lighter touch makes Cloosterbitter his preferred liqueur for a Last Word—regardless of Chartreuse’s availability. “I prefer a lower-proof herbal liqueur to green Chartreuse,” he says, “because I love the balance it brings with Fords Gin,” his preferred brand for the classic. He also uses it in a Bijou.
Aside from the classics, you can also find Cloosterbitter in a mezcal- and Midori-fueled sour at Echoes in Houston, a swizzle at Otto’s High Dive in Orlando and a spicy, minty drink at La Josie in Chicago. Bars across the country have joined the fandom. And why not? For around $30—less than half the price of Chartreuse these days—it’s at least worth a shot.
