Liqueur distilled of mountain herbs unique to a single monastery in France. Chartreuse emanates a faint and ethereal glow in candlelight, particulary when served in fine cordial glasses. On the tongue, it is an eldritch symphony of herbs, a melange of the edible flowers of paradise. On the throat, it is the hot and sensual flames of perdition.
An Elixir of Long Life
In 1605, the monks of the Order of Chartreuse were gifted with an ancient manuscript, very likely of alchemical provenance, titled "An Elixir of Long Life." Their benefactor was a marshal of artillery for King Henri IV. For the next hundred years, the manuscript was studied by the monks, who understood only parts of it. In 1737, a proper study of the manuscript was undertaken by a monk-apothecary, Frère Jerome Maubec. Maubec decoded the recipe, and the monks devoted themselves to preparation of the elixir. A single monk was responsible for loading a mule with small bottles of the elixir for transport to the market at Grenoble.
The elixir became popular as a revivifying tonic and aperitíf, and the base alcohol was soon revised by the monks to make it even more palatable. This recipe is still available as green Chartreuse. In 1838, an even sweeter and milder form of the original was developed, which is still available as yellow Chartreuse.
Secretum Sanctorum
Today, the bottling and packaging of the liqueur is undertaken by a private company. However, the secret of the recipe continues to be closely held by the monks. There are never more than three people alive who know the recipe - only three monks ever know the ingredients, and how they are prepared. The profits from the chartreuse protect the monastery from being buffeted by the economic realities and political tempests of the day, and the Order of Chartreuse continues as a cloistered community of monks.
A Glimpse into the Elixir
While the precise contents of the elixir are a mystery to all but the three brothers who share its secret, it is known to contain around 130 varieties of herbs, plants, roots, leaves, and other "natural bits of vegetation." These are soaked in alcohol (for an unknown length of time), distilled, and mixed with distilled honey and sugar syrup before being poured into large oaken casks for maturation.
Chartreuse Cats
The adjective "chartreuse" is also used to describe a breed of cat with a unique point of origin in the monastery. These cats are typically short-haired, with thick fur of a grey-blue color, and possessed of unusually large golden or copper-coloured eyes. They are distinguished by the unusual shape of their mouths, which are naturally curved into a gentle smile. One hypothesizes that their genetic legacy could have included some rather permanently delighted forbears whose primary source of nutrition was tipsy herb-flavoured mice.
How to Drink Chartreuse
Very, very slowly, and with no more than one person, so that talk may be appropriately modulated for the requisite pauses to rediscover how to breathe without losing complete track of the conversation.