CHARTREUSE

HISTORY

The history of this legendary liqueur dates back to 1605, when a small group of Carthusian monks received a manuscript from Marshal D'Estrees containing the recipe for a complex and intricate Elixir of Long Life. It would take at least 150 years before the brotherhood, established in the Grande Chartreuse massif in the French Alps, began producing the range of liqueurs we know today. Chartreuse is now the oldest commercially available liqueur and has loyal fans around the world, including famous American director Quentin Tarantino, who references it in his films, and fashion designer Giorgio Armani.

PRODUCTION METHOD

The production of Chartreuse is particularly complex. The majority of the botanicals used come from the French and Italian Alps. The herbal treatment process is secret. Only the monks of the monastery can perform it. Some herbs are infused, others distilled in "baskets" to release the most delicate aromas. Chlorophyll gives the intense green color, and saffron gives it yellow. Only two monks, Father Benoit and Brother Jan Jacques, participate in the second, secret phase of the production process. The alcohol is matured in large barrels holding thousands of liters for at least three years, from which the Green and Yellow versions are produced. With over 15 years of aging, we have an Extremely Extended Aged version, the Green VEP and the Yellow VEP, which continue to age in small barrels.

Country: France

Founded: 1605

Distributed by Velier since: 2000

Website: www.chartreuse.fr

Chartreuse

FOCUS

Chartreuse is a 100% monastic company. Marketing is entrusted to a company called Chartreuse Diffusion, whose profits are donated to the order for the maintenance of monasteries throughout France. The uniqueness, expertise, and quality of this liqueur have made it one of the top three trending liqueurs in the world's most famous cocktail bars. Its history dates back to the Middle Ages, when Arab knowledge of distillation was brought to the School of Salerno, founded in 1100. Here, a distillation system close to the modern one was studied and refined, and within these walls the first spirits, cure-alls, and elixirs of long life were produced. The most active in this regard were the Franciscans; one of them, Giovanni di Rupescissa, spoke extensively of infusions and distillations for medical purposes, and cited the word Elixir for the first time, "which cures all illnesses and prolongs life."