Definition: Chartreuse

This renowned liqueur was once produced by Carthusian monks in Tarragona (Spain) and Voiron near Grenoble (France), as well as in Marseille and Fourvoirie (Isère, France). This herbal liqueur is still produced in Voiron according to a very old recipe. Although the composition remains a secret of the Carthusians, we know that it involves brandy and numerous aromatic plants which, depending on the maceration process, produce yellow Chartreuse (sweeter, lower in alcohol), green Chartreuse (stronger) and a plant-based elixir, a few drops of which are consumed on a sugar cube. In 2004, Chartreuse celebrated the 400th anniversary of the handover of the recipe for the precious elixir by Marshal d'Estrées to the Carthusians of Paris.