Chartreuse - John E Fells

THE FRENCH ALPS
Chartreuse • 129
Chartreuse
Chartreuse is a unique Spirit. Not only is it the only green coloured spirit in the world made from
completely natural ingredients, but at 55% ABV it is also one of the strongest and has an unusual
and fascinating history. In 1605 Marshall d’Estrees, a friend of Henry IV of France, presented a
manuscript to the Carthusian Monks in Vauert, Paris. The Manuscript was the work of
16th Century Alchemists and contained the secrets to producing the Elixir of long life.
Unable to unravel the secrets of the
manuscript in Paris, it was sent to
La Grande Chartreuse, the Mother
house of the Order located in the
mountains near Grenoble. Here, in
1737, Frère Jerome Maubec successfully
macerated the 130 herbs and plants
detailed in the manuscript in alcohol,
thus creating the Elixir Vegetal de la
Grande Chartreuse, the medicinal liqueur
that is still produced by the monks to
this very day.
Top: The Ageing
Cellars at Chartreuse,
at 164 metres it is
the longest Liqueur
cellar in the world
Left: Entrance to
the monastery of
La Grande Chartreuse
Demand for the Elixir quickly grew,
with many consuming it for its flavour
rather than its health giving properties.
Recognising this the Monks adapted the
Elixir Vegetal in 1764 to create a milder
beverage; this is the Green Chartreuse we
know today.
In 1838 the milder and sweeter
Yellow Chartreuse was created.
Together with the Green, the
liqueurs became world famous.
It was not long before the growing
profits of Chartreuse attracted the
attention of the French Government
and in 1903 the monastery and distillery
were nationalised. The monks fled to
Tarragona in Spain, producing their
liqueurs under the name of “Une
Tarragone”. Meanwhile in France
government-employed workers attempted
to replicate the Chartreuse liqueurs, but
by 1929 the enterprise had collapsed.
When the monks returned to France
and La Grande Chartreuse they resumed
production at a distillery in the nearby
town of Voiron where Chartreuse is still
made today.
THE FRENCH ALPS
130 • Chartreuse
To this day the recipe is still a closelyguarded secret, and only two monks of
La Grande Chartreuse know the blend
of 130 herbs and botanicals which give
this liqueur its unique taste. There are
several different liqueurs within the
Chartreuse range:
Green Chartreuse – Herbal, distinctive
and intriguing, Green Chartreuse is a
unique liqueur. Not only is it the only
green coloured spirit in the world made
from completely natural ingredients,
but at over 55% ABV, it’s also one of
the strongest.
Yellow Chartreuse, coloured with Saffron
and flavoured with honey this is a sweeter
and milder version of the Green. Yellow
Chartreuse was the favourite tipple of
Queen Victoria and it went on to become
known as the ‘Queen of Liqueurs’.
GREEN CHARTREUSE
YELLOW CHARTREUSE
Veillissement Exceptionnellement Prolongé
or VEP. First introduced in 1963,
these liqueurs are produced using the
same process and secret formula as
the traditional styles, however their
maturation in oak barrels is extended
by many years to develop complexity
and add smoothness. These exceptional
liqueurs are available in both Green
and Yellow.
Elixir Vegetal de la Grande Chartreuse,
the original 69% ABV Medicinal
Liqueur upon which the other styles
are based.
The monks also produce a fruit liqueur
range including Cassis (blackcurrant),
Framboise (raspberry), Myrtille
(blueberry) and Mûre Sauvage
(wild blackberry).
CHARTREUSE VEP
Below: The ‘Desert of
Chartreuse’, the isolated
valley chosen by Saint
Bruno and his followers
in 1084 for the founding
of their new religious
order and the monastery
of ‘La Grande Chartreuse’.
FRUIT LIQUEURS
THE FRENCH ALPS
Top Left: The original 1605 manuscript containing the recipe for the Elixir of Long life
Top Right: Chartreuse has been produced by Carthusian Monks since the early 1700s
Chartreuse • 131
Below: The Carthusian
Monastery in the Winter