Your Chartreuse Substitute
It’s a familiar problem in the wine and spirits industry. The world discovers an artisanal producer, goes crazy for it, gobbles up all the supply, and then leaves retailers and customers with a shortage.
The latest craze has been Chartreuse, the long-standing French herbal liqueur that has been made by Benedictine monks in small batches for centuries. And that, of course, is the issue—these monks can’t work fast enough to keep up with supply!
In the meantime, cocktail fans who rely on Chartreuse for a number of insanely-popular drinks (like The Last Word, along with others) have been left without one of their key ingredients and forced to pay scalper prices for what little Chartreuse they can find.
Here at Mission, we’d like to introduce you to another historic French herbal liqueur that can take over in the meantime and we’d hardly call it settling. Fontbonne has been produced in France’s Burgundy region since 1874, a Dijonaisse delicacy that dates back 150 years. Maison Fontbonne, the sole producer, distills 26 plants, roots and spices in Dijon to create this unique liqueur whose production process has remained a secret since its inception.
The recipe includes: estragon, fennel, pine bud, liquorice, rosemary, cardamom, lavender, elderflower, gentian, basil, cinnamon, thyme, chamomile, sage, laurel, caraway, cumin, coriander, maniguette, orange peel, juniper, angelica, iris, lemon peel, and black tea in quantities that will remain a secret.
However, for those of you who are in dire need of a Last Word substitute, we’ve got you covered. Check out Fontbonne for all your mixology needs in the new era of contraband Chartreuse!