Five O’Clock Fridays: Green Monk Fizz

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Here's the secret recipe for the Green Monk Fizz cocktail from Garfunkel's in New York City!

In the “Five O’Clock Fridays” series, we’ll highlight a particular drink we’re loving right now. Depending on where we stumble upon this brilliant beverage, we’ll either provide a recipe to go along with it, or provide tasting notes and point you to where you can purchase it. Today’s edition: the Green Monk Fizz!

We knew were on to something special when Jason, our server at Garfunkel’s in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, placed our new drink in front of us.

We had selected “bartender’s choice” for our latest round of drinks, and I’d specified a “a drink with green chartreuse in it.” For those of you unfamiliar with the “bartender’s choice” option, it’s basically like an alcohol Russian roulette: you give some guidance to the bartender on what you’d like, and leave the rest up to the mixology gods. Sometimes, you’ll get a knockout; other times, the drink will be quaffable, but average.

In this case, I wasn’t sure what to expect, since I generally don’t crave green chartreuse. I secretly hoped that it wouldn’t be the Last Word cocktail, which is delicious, but I’ve had it several times in the recent past.

Luckily, we were in the capable hands of Derek, Garfunkel’s Beverage Director. He didn’t miss a beat when he heard our request, and passed our challenge with flying colors.

Derek, Garfunkel’s Beverage Director, makes magic behind the bar

Derek’s creation, the “Green Monk Fizz,” was refreshing, herbaceous, and complex. It’s the kind of cocktail that you’d be equally at home sipping on a warm beach in the Caribbean or sitting by a roaring campfire in the Hudson Valley. (Plus, I’m kind of a sucker for egg white drinks, which he didn’t know at the time, so score one for Garfunkel’s!)

Fun fact: the “Green Monk Fizz” is named for the select few monks in France that hold the secret to the recipe for green chartreuse. Don’t know your chartreuse from your benedictine? That’s OK — you can read our related post about chartreuse here.

Thankfully, Derek generously shared his recipe with us so we could continue making it at home. Without further ado, here’s the not-so-secret recipe for this delicious drink.

Green Monk Fizz

1 1/2 oz. Gin
1/2 oz. Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz. Housemade Hazelnut Orgeat
3/4 oz. Lime Juice
Egg White
Cucumber
Angostura Bitters
Club Soda

Muddle the cucumber inside the shaker. Add gin, green chartreuse, orgeat, egg white, and lime juice; dry shake with one ice cube first until it dilutes, then add ice and shake hard after. Double strain the mixture to ensure a silky, icy cocktail. Top with club soda and add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters.

Green Monk Fizz

Note: Garfunkel’s used their own housemade hazelnut orgeat in their version of this drink. If you don’t have orgeat in your household yet (like us, for shame!), you can find it here. Don’t have your own cocktail shaker yet? You can find a great one here.

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Here's the secret recipe for the Green Monk Fizz cocktail from Garfunkel's in New York City!

Have you tried making this cocktail? What did you think? Sound off in the comments below!


8 thoughts on “Five O’Clock Fridays: Green Monk Fizz

  1. Lynn and Justin

    What a great idea! It’s such a gentle way to break out of a rut.

    Love the history behind the name of the drink too, now we just have to wait for someone to ask about it at trivia so we can appear really freaking smart! 😉

    1. Julianne

      Haha I love it! You never know when these kernels of knowledge will help you out at trivia. It’s the one time my extensive knowledge of historical dates, movies, and musicals comes in handy 🙂

  2. Justin

    I love the detail you’ve provided here. I must confess, though, I’m rather a novice when it comes to cocktails. A glass (or bottle, given the right company) of wine over a meal or beers (I’m constantly trying something new, like the Gangster Duck Red Ale from Radiant Pig Brewery I checked of my list this weekend)–sure, but I rarely reach for that cocktail menu. Maybe it’s time that changed. As for Chartreuse, I doubt I’ve ever had it. Is it similar to Absinthe? And eggs white? Hmmm. Does that add froth and density to the drink?

    1. Julianne

      Hi Justin, sorry for the late reply! Yes, the egg whites add froth and density to the drink. Egg whites are also an ingredient in another one of my favorite drinks, the Ramos Gin Fizz.

      Chartreuse is actually a French liqueur made by Carthusian monks. There are two types of chartreuse, green and yellow. Green Chartreuse has a higher ABV, clocking in at 55 percent, or 110 proof. It tends to mix better with a cleaner base, such as gin, due to its stronger herbal flavors. Yellow Chartreuse (80 proof) is milder and sweeter, as it is flavored with saffron; it pairs well with bourbon or scotch. I’ve written a fun post on it if you care to know more.

      Perhaps we can take you and Lynn out to a cocktail bar soon! 🙂

  3. Anna Schlaht

    This looks amazing! One of our favorite travel pastimes has been going to different bars and trying the “bartender’s choice” for a round. We’ve never gone wrong with that request. Also, I have to second the deliciousness of orgeat. We just went through a bottle of the original flavor making Mai Tais, but hazelnut orgeat sounds incredible. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe with us. We’ll have to get our bartender on. 🙂

    1. Julianne

      Hi Anna, thanks for your kind words! I agree with you — I very much enjoy trying the “bartender’s choice” option for a drink or two at various bars. I am just now getting into orgeat… expect a post on that in the future! 🙂

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