The Best Herbal Liqueurs: Chartreuse, Bénédictine, Strega and the Bottles That Stand In for Them
Herbal liqueurs are the deep end of the back bar: monk recipes, secret botanicals and bottles that turn a simple cocktail into something people ask about. They are also easy to buy wrong, because Green Chartreuse and Jägermeister sit in the same category and drink nothing alike. We sort them the way we do at the counter: by how intense you want it, and whether it is going into a glass on its own or into a Last Word. Every bottle below ships nationwide.
In This Guide
Our Picks at a Glance
- Best overall herbal liqueur: Bénédictine D.O.M. Honeyed, versatile and useful in more cocktails than any other bottle here.
- Best for a Last Word: Green Chartreuse, 130 botanicals at 55% ABV. When it's sold out, use Dolin Génépy.
- Best herbal liqueur to sip: Yellow Chartreuse. Honeyed, softer and lower proof than Green.
- Best for a Vieux Carré: Bénédictine D.O.M. Honey, baking spice and a gentle herbal lift.
- Best Chartreuse alternative: Dolin Génépy le Chamois for Green, Strega for Yellow.
- Best for beginners: B&B. Bénédictine blended with cognac, smooth on ice.
- Best value herbal liqueur: Becherovka. Cinnamon, clove and ginger for under $25.
- Best ice-cold shot: Jägermeister. Better than its reputation, straight from the freezer.
- Best absinthe for beginners: Lucid Absinthe Supérieure. Classic, balanced and made with real grande wormwood.
The Best Herbal Liqueurs, Compared
ABV is the producer's published US strength. Intensity is how herbal and forceful each bottle drinks in practice.
| Bottle | Style / Origin | ABV | Flavor | Price tier | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Chartreuse | Monastic liqueur, French Alps | 55% | Pine, mint, anise, pepper; very intense | $75 to $100 | Last Word, sipping cold |
| Yellow Chartreuse | Monastic liqueur, French Alps | 43% | Honey, saffron, citrus, chamomile | $75 to $100 | Sipping, Naked and Famous |
| Bénédictine D.O.M. | Herbal liqueur, Normandy | 40% | Honey, baking spice, orange peel | Under $40 | Vieux Carré, Singapore Sling |
| B&B | Bénédictine and cognac | 40% | Honey, dried fruit, oak | Under $40 | On ice, beginners |
| Strega | Saffron liqueur, Benevento, Italy | 40% | Saffron, mint, fennel, juniper | Under $40 | Yellow Chartreuse swap, digestivo |
| Galliano L'Autentico | Vanilla-anise liqueur, Italy | 42.3% | Vanilla, anise, citrus, herbs | Under $40 | Harvey Wallbanger, Golden Cadillac |
| Dolin Génépy le Chamois | Alpine génépy, Chambéry | 45% | Alpine herbs, chamomile, light bitterness | Under $40 | Green Chartreuse swap, highballs |
| Jägermeister | Kräuterlikör, Germany | 35% | Licorice, citrus, ginger, bitter herbs | Under $25 | Freezer shots |
| Becherovka | Herbal bitter, Czech Republic | 38% | Cinnamon, clove, ginger, anise | Under $25 | Chilled shots, with tonic |
| Drambuie | Scotch, honey and herbs | 40% | Heather honey, Scotch, spice | Under $40 | Rusty Nail |
| Lucid Absinthe | Absinthe supérieure, France | 62% | Anise, fennel, grande wormwood | $50 to $75 | Absinthe drip, Sazerac rinse |
| Vana Tallinn | Rum-based spiced liqueur, Estonia | 40% | Vanilla, cinnamon, citrus | Under $30 | Coffee, on ice |
Chartreuse: Green vs. Yellow
Carthusian monks in the French Alps have made Chartreuse since 1737, and the recipe still uses about 130 herbs, plants and flowers. Only a handful of monks know the full formula. In 2023 the order announced it would limit production to protect their way of life and the environment, which is why bottles have been scarce. When we have it, we have it.
The most famous herbal liqueur in the world, and the most intense. Pine, spearmint, anise, white pepper and a sweet, warming finish at 110 proof. Sip a small pour ice-cold, or use it in a Last Word or a Chartreuse Swizzle. A little goes a long way, so one bottle lasts a long time.
Green's softer sibling. Lower proof and sweeter, with honey, saffron, citrus peel and chamomile. If Green feels like too much, start here. It's beautiful neat after dinner and the key to the Naked and Famous, an equal-parts mezcal sour.
Want to taste the original? The monks also make Elixir Végétal, a small, very high-proof herbal elixir traditionally taken by the drop on a sugar cube.
Best Herbal Liqueurs for Cocktails
Honeyed, spiced and gentler than Chartreuse, which makes it one of the most useful bottles on a home bar. It is the secret ingredient in the Vieux Carré and the Singapore Sling, and a half ounce stirred with rye and bitters makes a Monte Carlo.
The tall yellow bottle. Vanilla and anise lead, with citrus and herbs behind them. It is the float on a Harvey Wallbanger and the base of a Golden Cadillac, and it's surprisingly good in a tiki drink. Also in a 375ml if you only need it for one recipe.
Scotch whisky sweetened with heather honey and herbs. Half Scotch, half liqueur is the closest description. Stir 2 parts Scotch with 1 part Drambuie over ice and you have a Rusty Nail, one of the easiest classic cocktails to make at home.
The Last Word
Born at the Detroit Athletic Club around the time of Prohibition and revived by Seattle bartenders in the 2000s, this is the drink that made Green Chartreuse famous again. Equal parts, shaken hard with ice, strained up:
- ¾ oz London dry gin, such as Beefeater or Tanqueray
- ¾ oz Green Chartreuse
- ¾ oz Luxardo Maraschino
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
The Vieux Carré
New Orleans' great stirred drink, from the Hotel Monteleone in the 1930s. Stir with ice and strain over a large cube:
- ¾ oz rye, such as Sazerac Rye
- ¾ oz cognac, such as Pierre Ferrand 1840
- ¾ oz sweet vermouth, such as Carpano Antica
- 1 bar spoon Bénédictine
- 2 dashes each Peychaud's and Angostura bitters
Best Herbal Liqueurs to Sip
For sipping, serve herbal liqueurs cold. Chilling tames the sugar and lets the herbs come forward.
Bénédictine blended with cognac, first bottled in the late 1930s after the mix became a bar order in New York. Drier and rounder than Bénédictine alone, with honey, dried fruit and oak. The bottle we hand to people who want an herbal liqueur that doesn't shout.
The Czech national digestif. Cinnamon and clove up front, ginger and anise behind, with a gentle bitter edge. Pour it ice-cold as a shot, or mix it with tonic and a lemon wheel for a Beton, the Czech highball.
Forget the party reputation for a second. Jägermeister is a well-made German herbal liqueur with licorice, citrus peel, ginger and a bitter finish. Kept in the freezer and poured as a small, ice-cold shot after dinner, it drinks a lot like an amaro.
A rum-based liqueur with vanilla, cinnamon and citrus oils. Sweeter and warmer than the alpine bottles, and excellent in hot coffee on a cold night.
If you like your digestivo darker and more bitter, see our guide to the best bitter liqueurs, from Averna to Fernet-Branca.
Best Chartreuse Alternatives
Chartreuse is expensive and often hard to find. These bottles do a similar job in cocktails for a fraction of the price. None are exact copies, but all of them work.
Génépy is the traditional liqueur of the Savoie Alps, made from artemisia flowers picked high in the mountains. Dolin's is lighter and less sweet than Green Chartreuse, with fresh alpine herbs, chamomile and a slight bitterness. Our go-to Green Chartreuse stand-in for a Last Word, and great with soda.
Strega means "witch," and the bright yellow color comes from saffron. About 70 botanicals give mint, fennel and juniper over a lightly sweet base. It is the closest thing to Yellow Chartreuse at less than half the price, and a classic Italian after-dinner pour.
Absinthe and Anise
Absinthe is a high-proof spirit flavored with grande wormwood, anise and fennel. Most absinthe is not sweetened, so it is technically a spirit rather than a liqueur, but it lives on the same shelf and plays the same role in cocktails.
The first genuine absinthe approved for sale in the US after the ban, in 2007, and still a great place to start. Distilled at the historic Combier distillery in the Loire Valley with real grande wormwood. Balanced anise and herbs, and it louches beautifully with cold water.
From one of the original absinthe houses. Bigger and more intense than Lucid, with bright anise and green herbs. Use a few drops to rinse a Sazerac glass, or prepare it the classic way with a sugar cube and ice water. Explore more in our absinthe collection.
Herbal Liqueur Styles Explained
Monastic liqueurs
Chartreuse and Bénédictine trace their stories to European monasteries, where herbal elixirs started as medicine. Today only Chartreuse is still made under the direction of monks; Bénédictine is produced by a commercial distillery in Normandy.
Alpine liqueurs and génépy
Made in the French, Swiss and Italian Alps from mountain artemisia and other high-altitude herbs. Lighter, more floral and less sweet than Chartreuse.
Kräuterlikör
German for "herb liqueur." Jägermeister is the famous one. These are usually lower proof, darker and served ice-cold.
Italian herbal liqueurs
Strega and Galliano are sweet, golden and built for after dinner or for cocktails. When an Italian herbal liqueur leans bitter, it becomes an amaro, which is a whole category of its own.
Absinthe and anise spirits
Anise-forward and high proof. Absinthe adds wormwood; Pernod Anise and Herbsaint are lower in proof, softer and easier to use.
How to Serve Herbal Liqueur
- Ice-cold: keep Jägermeister, Becherovka or Green Chartreuse in the freezer and pour small. Cold mutes sweetness and sharpens the herbs.
- Neat after dinner: one ounce of Yellow Chartreuse, Strega or B&B in a small glass.
- Highball: 1½ ounces of génépy or Becherovka with tonic or soda and a citrus twist.
- As a modifier: a quarter to half ounce in a stirred whiskey or gin drink adds depth without taking over.
- Absinthe drip: one ounce of absinthe, a sugar cube on a slotted spoon, and about four ounces of ice water dripped in slowly until the drink turns cloudy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best herbal liqueur?
Bénédictine D.O.M. is the best all-around herbal liqueur for most home bars, and Green Chartreuse is the most complex, especially in a Last Word. For sipping, Yellow Chartreuse and B&B are easier to love. For value, Becherovka and Dolin Génépy.
What is the difference between Green and Yellow Chartreuse?
Green Chartreuse is stronger (55% ABV), drier and more intensely herbal, with pine and mint. Yellow Chartreuse is 43% ABV, sweeter and softer, with honey and saffron.
What can I use instead of Green Chartreuse?
Génépy is the best substitute for Green Chartreuse in cocktails like the Last Word. For Yellow Chartreuse, use Strega. Neither is identical, but both keep the drink balanced.
Why is Chartreuse so hard to find?
The Carthusian monks who make it announced in 2023 that they would limit production so they could focus on monastic life and limit their environmental impact. Demand has stayed far higher than supply ever since.
Bénédictine vs. B&B: what's the difference?
Bénédictine is the original honeyed herbal liqueur. B&B blends Bénédictine with cognac, so it's drier, rounder and better for sipping. For cocktails like the Vieux Carré, use straight Bénédictine.
Is Jägermeister an herbal liqueur?
Yes. Jägermeister is a German herbal liqueur, or Kräuterlikör, at 35% ABV. Served ice-cold, it drinks much like an Italian amaro.
Shop Herbal Liqueurs at The Liquor Barn
Chartreuse when we can get it, Bénédictine, Strega, génépy, absinthe and more. Ships nationwide. Family-owned since 1982.
Shop All Liqueurs Absinthe Aperitifs and AmariThe Liquor Barn operates three retail locations in Vernon Hills, Wheeling, and Niles, Illinois. We are a licensed Illinois retailer and ship to states where direct-to-consumer alcohol shipping is permitted. Prices and availability change; the product page always has the current price. Questions about shipping to your state? Contact us here. Please drink responsibly.
