Who Knows
- 1 oz. Green Chartreuse
- 1 oz. Aromatized wine (Lillet Blanc)
- ½ oz. Triple sec or Cointreau
- ½ oz. Fresh lime juice
- Shake with ice, serve neat with an orange button
Welcome back and happy Friday!
Today’s happiest of hours finds me sipping on a Who Knows, a fan submission to Difford’s Guide with the unique distinction of featuring Green Chartreuse as its base. If you’ve followed the international spirits market in recent years, you know Chartreuse (green or yellow) has become difficult to find. The Carthusian monks who produce it at La Grande Chartreuse monastery in the French Alps have chosen not to increase production to meet demand. Understandable, as making liqueur is only one of their responsibilities.
Naturally, other distilleries have stepped in with substitutes to emulate the mint, pine, citrus and anise notes of Chartreuse: Dolin Génépy, Faccia Brutto Centerbe, and Izarra Jaune. Some mixologists even recommend blending Génépy, Strega and Bénédictine. I’ve tried Génépy, it’s good–but not quite the same. And who can blame these substitutes? After all, Chartreuse’s recipe reportedly calls for 130 herbs and plants to achieve its complexity.
Fortunately, I have a bottle onhand. The Who Knows begins herbaceous with the Chartreuse, quickly cushioned by the body of Lillet Blanc. The Lillet’s sweetness pairs with the citrus brightness of Cointreau, standing firm against the tart bite of lime. A refreshing and balanced sipper, perfect for toasting summer’s close.
And what a summer it’s been. The name of the cocktail is what first caught my attention: Who Knows. The name suggests two perspectives:
- One is glass-is-half-full, a perspective I share.
- The other is an openness to letting go, embracing uncertainty.
This year has required both from me and my family.
We began 2025 by making the enormous decision to leave Portland, Oregon–our home of 20 years and the only home our daughter has ever known–to relocate to my wife’s hometown of Kelowna, British Columbia. In our analytical way, we weighed the pros and cons carefully and, once decided, held fast through all the speed bumps along the way. By disrupting our relationships, routines and obligations, did we know exactly what awaited us? No. Who knows. All we know is that it would be an adventure.
One adventure has already unfolded: helping our daughter move to Vancouver to pursue aerial arts at CircusWest. Do she, or do we, know what lies ahead in this more advanced world of training and performance. No. Who knows. But we do know she’s motivated and determined, and that she can chase this path free from worry about access to healthcare in Canada.
As for me, seeking employment while newly relocated in Canada has been its own challenge. Anyone who’s been laid off knows the most effective strategy for landing your next role is through your network. But when a city has too many candidates for too few jobs, hope is hard to come by. Having been laid off the week before relocating to Kelowna, did I know I’d have success job-hunting from interior British Columbia? No. Who knows. What I do know is that job searching is like marketing: build momentum by networking, publishing, and staying visible to hiring managers, wherever they may be.
My wife, the glass-half-empty kind, marvels at my persistence and optimism. But at this point in my life, I’ve concluded that if you consistently put good into the world, some of it eventually comes back to you. Do I know when or how that will happen? No. Who knows. But I’ll be here sipping on this Who Knows when it does.
Cheers!
