The Greenpoint is a spirit-forward modern classic comprised of rye whiskey, Yellow Chartreuse, sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters, and orange bitters. Created by Michael McIlroy while at New York City’s Milk & Honey in 2006, the Greenpoint is one of the most recognizable of the many riffs created in the mid-aughts inspired by the Brooklyn cocktail. 

The Brooklyn first emerged in the early 1900s on the heels of the popular Manhattan and is a more complex combination of rye whiskey, dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and the elusive bittersweet French liqueur, Amer Picon. 

When bartenders rediscovered this nearly forgotten classic during the cocktail revival of the early 2000s, Amer Picon was nearly impossible to find. (Because of an FDA ban, the brand is not exported to the U.S. and is still difficult to source.) As a result, bartenders looked to the cocktail as a template for inspired variations, all named after neighborhoods in the Brooklyn borough. 

The Red Hook, another Milk & Honey creation from McIlroy’s colleague, Italian bartender Vincenzo Errico, is considered to be the first in the family of Brooklyn riffs, swapping dry vermouth and Amer Picon for Punt e Mes, an herbaceously bitter, sweet vermouth.

McIlroy, inspired by his own Brooklyn neighborhood at the time, Greenpoint, first used the French herbal liqueur Green Chartreuse alongside rye whiskey and sweet vermouth. He ended up favoring the mellower and lower -roof Yellow Chartreuse in the cocktail’s final recipe. 

What makes the Greenpoint cocktail work?

Like the Brooklyn, the Greenpoint starts with a base of rye whiskey but employs sweet vermouth instead of dry and swaps out the lusciously sweet maraschino liqueur and bittersweet Amer Picon for the bright and sweet herbal liqueur Yellow Chartreuse. 

The rye whiskey foundation of this drink provides robust support for the big aromatics from the Chartreuse, allowing the heady botanicals of citrus, turmeric, and anise to emerge gently.

The sweet vermouth contributes a warm, spicy quality. While both Angostura and orange bitters lend structure and complex layers of citrus and spice.