The garden’s abundance has long been put to use in liqueurs, making them evocative of their places of origin, from the vibrant citrus of southern Italy to the herbaceous botanicals of the Alps. Of course, the history of all alcohol is agricultural, but that doesn’t mean every field has been tilled, so to speak. There’s still space to reap exciting rewards—especially when a novel product hits the scene based on the same fundamental tenets.
“It’s fresh and vegetal from the aloe, and brings a cooling element to drinks.” —Amy Racine
When Kurt Charron created Chareau—a portmanteau of great-grandparents Arthur Emile Charron and Florence Marie Favreau—he aimed to create a liqueur representative of California’s farm-to-table culinary movement, along with the state’s agricultural bounty. The result, an aloe liqueur, has a complexity that belies its pared-down ingredient list: unaged grape eau de vie, aloe vera, cucumber, lemon peel, muskmelon, spearmint, raw cane sugar, and water. “Chareau is a very unique spirit to work with—the flavor and texture are unlike anything else on the bar,” says New York beverage director Amy Racine. “It’s fresh and vegetal from the aloe, and brings a cooling element to drinks.”
At 50 proof, Chareau is versatile as a cocktail modifier and also shines as the star ingredient. “It’s refreshing and elegant, it’s very balanced, and it plays well with most other flavors,” says Rafa García Febles, beverage director with the Marcus Samuelsson Group in New York. While García Febles loves that the liqueur incorporates flavors not otherwise readily found behind the bar, he also appreciates what he calls its populist characteristics. “Cucumber and mint have to be among the most popular flavors for bar-goers right now.”
For Pittsburgh bartender Lissa Brennan it’s the way Chareau’s myriad flavors merge that makes it a go-to behind the bar. “I love that each of the ingredients sings loud and clear on its own, then comes together with the others in perfect harmony,” she says. “Everything is present, and nothing is overwhelming.”
True to its agricultural origins, Chareau’s ingredients are sourced from family farms and are largely organic. For García Febles, that’s a core part of its appeal. “I love the ethos it embodies—a thoughtful, delicious combination of locally sourced botanicals, presented simply but smartly,” he says. In his Veracruz, agave and lime juice receive a dose of crisp complexity from white wine, with Chareau taming the spicy kick of a cayenne tincture. “Think of a spicy spa water Margarita, with a cooling sip of aloe, mint, and cucumber, and a kick in the back from red pepper and agave,” García Febles says. “It’s refreshing and boozy in familiar ways, but with something unexpected and unusual.”
Refreshing and familiar, yet unexpected and unusual. Sounds a lot like Chareau itself.
The Irving
1 1/2 oz. mint coconut water
1 oz. Chareau
3/4 oz. white crème de cacao
3/4 oz. green Chartreuse
1/4 oz. coconut milk
Tools: shaker, strainer, fine strainer
Glass: Nick & Nora
Garnish: mint leaf
Shake all of the ingredients with ice and double-strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a single mint leaf.
Mint Coconut WaterIn a quart container, combine 1 cup of fresh mint leaves and add coconut water to fill. Let sit for 6 to 8 hours, then strain and bottle for use. Keeps refrigerated up to 72 hours.
Lissa Brennan for Con Alma Jazz Bar & Restaurant, Pittsburgh
Veracruz
1 1/2 oz. blanco tequila or mezcal joven
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. Chareau
1/2 oz. dry or semi-aromatic white wine, such as a Loire Sauvignon Blanc
1/2 oz. simple syrup (1:1)
2 dashes cayenne tincture (optional, to taste)
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: double Old Fashioned or rocks
Garnish: cucumber spear
Shake all of the ingredients with ice and strain into a glass filled with fresh ice.
Cayenne TinctureSteep 1 oz. of powdered cayenne in 750 ml of high-proof vodka for 24 hours at room temperature. Strain and serve from a dropper. Alternatively, use a commercial cayenne tincture or Bittermens Hellfire Shrub.
Rafa García Febles, Marcus Samuelsson Group, New York
White Negroni Highball
1 1/2 oz. dill-infused gin
1 oz. Cocchi Americano Bianco
3/4 oz. Chareau
3 dashes orange bitters
3 oz. Fever-Tree tonic water, chilled
Tools: barspoon
Glass: Collins
Garnish: shiso leaf
Stir the first 4 ingredients with ice until chilled, then strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with chilled tonic water.
Dill-Infused GinCombine 6 sprigs of fresh dill with 750 ml of gin (Racine uses Hendricks) for 3 hours. Strain and bottle for use. Keeps indefinitely, though the dill’s flavor may fade over time.
Amy Racine for IRIS, New York