Name: Greenpoint Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients: 2 ounces Rye Whiskey; 0.5 ounce Yellow Chartreuse; 0.5 ounce Sweet Vermouth; 1 dash Angostura Bitters; 1 dash Orange Bitters

Cocktail in a Martini glass with Angostura & Orange bitters

Table of Contents

Video: How to Make a Greenpoint Cocktail
History
Ingredients
Variations
Final Thoughts & Recipe

Love a Manhattan? If so, we have a great alternative for you today!

The Greenpoint cocktail is a fun riff on the Manhattan– using one of our favorite ingredients, yellow Chartreuse.

Bringing a modern twist to the classic cocktail, this drink combines rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Chartreuse for a rich, layered flavor profile that’s just different enough from the original recipe to be special on its own.

How to Make the Greenpoint

Check out today’s video above, where Chris demonstrates how to craft this modern classic cocktail recipe. Then scroll down to learn more about it and get the recipe.

Red-brown cocktail in a Martini coupe on a bar

History of the Greenpoint Cocktail

The Greenpoint emerged on the cocktail scene during the early 2006, created by Michael McIlroy at the famed Milk & Honey cocktail bar in New York City. Part of the unofficial New York neighborhood series of cocktails, the drink takes its name from Brooklyn’s Greenpoint district.

Inspired by the quintessential New York cocktail, the Manhattan, the Greenpoint adds in yellow Chartreuse and combines orange and aromatic bitter s, elevating the drink with distinct notes of honey and licorice.

Greenpoint drink surrounded by its ingredients on a bar

Greenpoint Ingredients

This boozy cocktail recipe expands on the traditional Manhattan ingredients, adding a dimension of flavor you didn’t even know you wanted but that you’ll definitely love. Here’s what you need to create this balanced drink:

Rye Whiskey: The robust, spicy base of the drink, rye adds depth, warmth, and an earthy flavor.
Sweet Vermouth: Although the vermouth is cut in half here compared to the original, it’s still needed to balance the spice of rye with its bittersweet, herbal profile.
Yellow Chartreuse: A lighter version of green Chartreuse, this honeyed herbal liqueur adds a unique depth and complexity to the final drink with its anise & floral flavors.
Angostura Bitters: By adding earthy notes, aromatic bitters enhances the whiskey’s spice.
Orange Bitters: By using both types of bitters, you get a bright, citrusy lift, rounding out this aromatic whiskey drink with a little additional flavor.

Variations

I mean, this flavorful cocktail is already a variation, right? But still, there is room to play with the flavor profile, swapping in and out ingredients and meddling with the existing structure. Here are some creative twists to experiment with:

Smoky Greenpoint: Swap rye whiskey out for a peated Scotch, adding bolder, smoky notes.
Brooklyn: Coming well before the Greenpoint (in 1910), it’s argued that this is actually the inspiration for today’s cocktail. For this little-known classic, combine rye, Amer Picon, dry vermouth, & Luxardo maraschino liqueur.
Prospect Park: This one replaces sweet vermouth with Aperol, deepening the herbal complexity and adding more bitterness. Mix rye, Aperol, maraschino liqueur, & Punt e Mes sweet vermouth; some people also argue for a little simple syrup.
Spicy Greenpoint: Infuse the rye with chili peppers for an extra kick that complements the Chartreuse.

bartender holding a cocktail in a bar, smiling at the camera

Better as a Neighborhood or a Drink?

I think this might be one of my new favorite cocktails. I absolutely love a Manhattan, and then you add Chartreuse… perfection.

It’s a really good example of how modern mixology can be creative yet simple, taking existing structures and elaborating until you get something new but familiar.

What I love about the Greenpoint is its nuanced herbal and citrus flavors—complex, vibrant, just like its Brooklyn neighborhood namesake.

So what do you think? Do you prefer the Manhattan? Love the Greenpoint recipe? Prefer to play with a variation? Leave a comment and let me know your favorite version. Until next time… Cheers!