Gin · Classic · Herbaceous
Alaska Cocktail Recipe
A Martini reimagined through a monk's herbal liqueur — dry gin softened by honeyed, saffron-gold Chartreuse. Herbal, honeyed and quietly complex, the Alaska Cocktail swaps a Martini's vermouth for Yellow Chartreuse, turning gin's juniper snap into something warmer and more resinous. It's an ideal choice for a slow, contemplative evening drink or for anyone who already loves Chartreuse and wants to see it take the lead.
- Prep Time
- 2 min
- Method
- Stirred
- Glass
- Coupe glass
- Strength
- Spirit-forward
Every recipe on Sipped Right is tested for taste and balance before it's published.
Last updated October 20, 2026
About the Alaska Cocktail
The Alaska Cocktail is a pre-Prohibition classic, first documented in print in the early 1910s in Jacques Straub's cocktail manual, which called for Old Tom gin, Yellow Chartreuse and a dash of orange bitters. Hugo Ensslin's influential 1916 guide Recipes for Mixed Drinks helped cement the drink's place in the bartender's canon, and Harry Craddock's 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book carried it forward to a new generation, adjusting the gin from Old Tom to a drier London style. Despite its wintry name, the cocktail wasn't inspired by cold weather — most historians tie the name to Alaska's admission as a U.S. territory in 1912, a timely nod rather than a flavour cue.
The classic build runs 2:1 gin to Yellow Chartreuse — 1.5oz gin to 0.75oz Yellow Chartreuse, rounded out with two dashes of orange bitters. That ratio matters: Chartreuse is a potent, high-proof herbal liqueur, and even at roughly a third of the volume its honeyed, saffron-and-herb sweetness is assertive enough to define the drink against gin's dry, juniper-forward backbone. Push the ratio much closer to even and the Chartreuse overwhelms the gin; pull back further and it disappears into the background. Stirred and undiluted apart from ice and a couple of dashes of bitters, the Alaska sits alongside the Martini as a spirit-forward, botanical stirred classic — a Martini for Chartreuse lovers.
Ingredients
- Gin1 ½ oz
- Yellow Chartreuse¾ oz
- Orange bitters2 dashes
2 dashes orange bitters
Method
- Measure and pour the gin, Yellow Chartreuse and orange bitters into the mixing glass.
- Add a scoop of ice to the mixing glass.
- Stir for 30 seconds.
- Strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe glass.
- Cut a swath of lemon peel.
- Express the peel over the drink and drop it in (or discard).
Glass & Garnish
Coupe glass, chilled. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Notes
Stirred and served in a coupe with a lemon twist: 1.5 oz gin, 0.75 oz Yellow Chartreuse and 2 dashes orange bitters. Older recipes vary the gin-to-Chartreuse ratio (roughly 2:1 to 3:1) and sometimes skip the bitters; this is the standard modern serve.
Tools Used
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FAQ
- Can I batch the Alaska Cocktail for a party?
- Yes — it's an ideal batching cocktail since it's all spirits with no perishable juice. Multiply the gin and Yellow Chartreuse by your guest count at the same 2:1 ratio, add proportional dashes of orange bitters, and store the batch in the freezer. Stir briefly with ice and strain to serve, glass by glass.
- Can I use Green Chartreuse instead of Yellow?
- No — don't substitute one for the other. Green Chartreuse is significantly higher proof (around 55% ABV vs. Yellow's 40%) and far more intensely herbal, piney and bitter, while Yellow Chartreuse is softer, honeyed and saffron-sweet. Swapping in Green throws off the Alaska's balance, making it sharper and more medicinal than intended.
- What's the best gin for an Alaska Cocktail?
- A juniper-forward London Dry gin gives the classic dry, crisp backbone the Chartreuse plays against, though the original 1913 recipe called for Old Tom gin, which adds a touch of sweetness and roundness. Either works; London Dry makes a sharper, more traditional Martini-adjacent drink, while Old Tom softens it further.
- What are the main variations on the Alaska Cocktail?
- The 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book version drops the orange bitters and shifts to a 3:1 gin-to-Chartreuse ratio for a drier pour. Some modern bartenders add a dash of absinthe for extra herbal lift, or swap in Old Tom gin for a rounder version closer to the original 1913 recipe.
- What garnish does the Alaska Cocktail use?
- A simple lemon twist, expressed over the drink to release its citrus oils before being dropped in or discarded. The bright citrus oil lifts the Chartreuse's honeyed herbal notes without adding sweetness of its own — no fruit, no cherry, just aromatic lemon oils on the surface.
- Where does the Alaska Cocktail come from?
- It's a pre-Prohibition classic first documented in the early 1910s in Jacques Straub's cocktail manual, later included in Hugo Ensslin's 1916 guide and popularized worldwide by the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book. Despite the name, it isn't a cold-weather drink — most historians link it to Alaska's 1912 admission as a U.S. territory.
