Everything you need to know about Chartreuse

09.02.2024 - 20:14 / nationalgeographic.com

Well, we’d recommend water. But I’m assuming you want a longer answer here, so what about Chartreuse — a legendary liqueur that’s been made by Carthusian monks, deep in the French Alps, since the 18^th century. The recipe is based on an ancient manuscript, entitled The Elixir of Long Life, bestowed upon the monks by a marshal of King Henry IV, François Annibal d’Estrées. The exact origin of the manuscript — an alchemic labyrinth of secret symbols and cryptic codes — remains unknown, and it took the Grande Chartreuse monastery more than a century to decipher it and begin distilling the enigmatic elixir. Secrecy still surrounds the recipe, with only three monks allowed to oversee the production of the yellowy green liqueur — with each one only being privy to two-thirds of the recipe and bound to a vow of silence.

No. What we do know is that 130 unknown herbs and spices are macerated for eight hours. The liqueur is aged in oak casks, some more than a century old, within the largest liqueur cellar in the world. Still produced exclusively by the Carthusian monks, the classic Green Chartreuse opens an intense apothecary of flavours — there’s some herbal heat initially, it’s a little bit menthol, peppering the palate with earthy, woody, floral and fruity notes. While the Yellow is slightly sweeter and less potent, both varietals are said to get better in the bottle with age, and vintage versions, especially those made prior to the monks’ 48-year expulsion during the French Revolution, are valued handsomely. Worth even more are the rare, VEP (Vieillissement Exceptionnelle Prolonge) variants, which are aged for longer (over 10 years), with a more complex, stronger woody character. Prices went up further in early 2023 when the monks announced they were quietening production to remain loyal to their main vocation of prayer and solitude and to maintain the balance of life at the Grande Chartreuse monastery. They also cited the need to limit the environmental impact of producing the herbal liqueur. Talking of which, Green Chartreuse has historically helped reduce methane emissions — with French farmers feeding it to their cows to ease their wind.

Probably not. No. But not content with being a cameo component in a number of classic cocktails (lending the iconic Last Word its trademark green hue), it was a favourite of the Queen Mum, who had a good innings. Other fans have included Hunter S Thompson, and both Tom Waits and ZZ Top have written songs about it. You won’t hear the monks singing it, though — they’re a silent order.

1. Green Chartreuse
The flagship Chartreuse, created in 1840, is produced using 130 botanicals and aged in oak. Herbal, medicinal, complex in character — it’s stronger and less sweet than the