Chartreuse is the invention of the Carthusian monks of the great monastery of La Grande Chartreuse, situated between Grenoble and Chambéry in the Alpine Savoie region of France.
Today the liqueurs – the original Elixir, and the green and yellow versions which were launched in 1840 – are made at a distillery over the hills at Le Mas d’Aiguenoire. The Carthusians are a silent and contemplative order of monks, so tourists are welcomed at a visitor centre in the old distillery, 40 minutes away in the town of Voiron. The history of Chartreuse has been closely linked to the waxing and waning in popularity of liqueurs and associated cocktails, as well as phases of religious persecution; at one point Chartreuse had to be made in Spain. The exact recipe extends to 130 plants and is only known to two monks.
France
