Chartreuse is an herbal liqueur derived from 130 different plants, flowers, barks, roots and spices.  Created in 1840, this “Elixir de Santé” is the first widely distributed liqueur made from the original recipe of the Elixir Végétal de la Grande Chartreuse.  The liqueur takes it name from the Carthusian Order (les chartreux) of monks who settled their monastery in the Chartreuse Desert in 1084.  Over 700-years, the order of monks developed and refined interests in pharmacopoeia (the inventorying of herbs and spices and their medical purposes), employing new discoveries in brandy as a base spirit.   According to modern lore, the recipe was given to the monks by a Marshal of Artillery named Francois Hannibal d’Estrées, who was looking for a medicinal elixir that would prolong his life. The recipe was then passed down through the generations of Carthusian monks, who continued to refine it and keep it a closely guarded secret.  By 1762, the elixir had lost its red coloration in favor of a “greenish” tint, with a “pungent and active” taste.  In 1838, a softer version with a pale yellow color was introduced ‘Chartreuse Jaune’ (“Yellow Chartreuse.”)  The original formula became known as ‘Chartreuse Verte’ (“Green Chartreuse”).

It is still produced and manufactured today by the Chartreux Fathers in Aiguenoire in Entre-Deux-Guiers (Isère), France.  To date, the herbal mixtures to make chartreuse are prepared by two monks, who are the only ones who know the recipe.