THE DRINK
PRODUCED TO AN ANCIENT RECIPE BY MONKS, CHARTREUSE IS AS MYSTERIOUS AS IT IS POPULAR. WORDS: THE THINKING DRINKERS
What should I drink if I want to live longer?
Try Chartreuse — a legendary liqueur that's been made by a silent order of Carthusian monks in the French Alps since 1764. The recipe is based on instructions for the creation of an 'elixir of long life', which were included in an ancient manuscript, bestowed upon the monks by François Annibal d’Estrées, a marshal of King Henry IV. The manuscript’s exact origins remain unknown, and it took the Grande Chartreuse monastery more than a century to decipher it and begin distilling. Only three monks at a time are allowed to oversee the production of the liqueur, with each one only being privy to two-thirds of the recipe.
So, no one knows the whole recipe?
No. But we do know that 130 herbs and plants are macerated for eight hours. The liqueur is then aged in oak casks, some more than a century old, within the Caves de la Chartreuse, the largest liqueur cellar in the world. The classic Green Chartreuse is a little bit menthol, peppering the palate with earthy, woody, floral and fruity notes. Yellow Chartreuse, meanwhile, is slightly sweeter and less potent. 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 Exceptionnel Prolongé) variants, which have been aged for extended periods of time.
Is it popular?
Yep — global demand outstrips supply, thanks in part to its popularity in the US. However, in early 2023, the monks alarmed devotees by announcing they were quietening production to remain loyal to their main vocation of prayer and solitude and to maintain the balance of life at the monastery.
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