Marseilles Rhum Cocktail Recipe

The Marseilles Rum is a bright, herbaceous cocktail made with equal parts rhum agricole, Bénédictine liqueur, Green Chartreuse, and freshly squeezed lime juice. 

This original drink was created by Matthew Brodbine, beverage director for chef Dave Beran’s Pasjoli, the award-winning French bistro in Santa Monica, California. Similar in flavor and build to a Last Word cocktail, Brodbine was inspired by a more contemporary (and obscure) creation that emerged in the early 2000s. 

“The Marseille Rhum started as a flip on a Shanghai Gin recipe (typically made with equal parts gin, Bénédictine, Yellow Chartreuse, and lemon juice),” says Brodbine. “Before Pasjoli’s remodel, we were exclusively using only French spirits. Since then, we have opened the doors to other countries and sources from all over, but the Marseille Rhum stays true to itself, using only French liquors. Marseille Rhum was our take on an obscure classic, but flipping it Pasjoli-style.”

Though the creator of the Shanghai Gin cocktail isn’t known, the drink is said to have originated at beloved Vietnamese restaurant, the Slanted Door, in San Francisco at the onset of the classic cocktail revival.

Why the Marseilles Rum works

Equal-parts cocktails such as the Negroni, Last Word, and 50/50 Martini are bartender favorites for their riffable, plug-and-play capabilities. Swapping out a single ingredient is easy and can often result in a completely different flavor profile. 

This cocktail, inspired by a Shanghai Gin recipe, replaces gin with rhum agricole, Yellow Chartreuse for the more intensely herbal (and higher proof) Green Chartreuse, and lemon juice for the slightly more acidic lime juice.

Rhum agricole, a French-style rum made directly from fresh sugarcane juice rather than molasses, retains more of the fresh, grassy characteristics from the sugarcane than traditionally made rum. It has a distinctive, almost vegetal flavor profile. This bold spirit can hold up to the intensely herbaceous French herbal liqueurs Green Chartreuse and Bénédictine.

Bénédictine provides notes of honey, saffron, and ginger while lending a silky, rich texture. And the Green Chartreuse helps to boost the savory, woodsy qualities in the drink. Freshly squeezed lime juice lends a welcome bright acidity that will balance the sweetness of the liqueurs and plays a crucial role in enhancing the flavors of the rhum agricole.