Chartreuse tasting

Green Chartreuse is the only liquor in the world with a completely natural green colour !

It is powerful and unique !

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Only two Chatreuse monks knows the identity of the 130 plants, how to blend them and how to distill them into this world famous liqueur. They are also the only ones who know which plants they have to macerate to produce the natural green and yellow colours. And they alone supervise the slow ageing in oak casks.

Ingredients : alcohol, sugar, 130 plants and flowers.

Middle and sweeter than the famous Green Chartreuse, Yellow Chartreuse was introduced to the world in 1838. It also is presented in the traditional Chartreuse liquor bottle embossed with the seal of La Grande Chartreuse. Its colour is entirely natural with no artificial flavours preservatives. This beverage can be enjoyed neat or in a long drink too.

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How Chartreuse is made today ?

The herb room of the Monastery

Only two Chartreuse Monks ("Carthusians") - Dom Benoit and Brother Jean-Jacques know the names of the 130 herbs and plants used to make Chartreuse : the ones mentioned in the manuscript they have been given more than 400 years ago.

18 tons of them are delivered to the Grande-Chartreuse Monastery each year.

There, in the "Herb Room", they are dried, crushed, and mixed in different series.
Each serie is then kept in a bag carefully nimbered and taken to the distillery in Voiron.

The distillery in Voiron

In this room, only the 2 Monks ans 2 laymen helping them may enter. Each series of herbs ans plants macerate in alcohol.

Each maceration is then distilled for about 8 hours.

Since the 19th century the Monks have used the sopper stills.  Today, they are mainly dedicated to the Vodka Vertical made by the 2 laymens.

Most of the distillation of the liquors is today done in the stainless-steel stills. They have been designed especially for Chartreuse, in order to enable a very accurate control of the distillation process. And, as important, to allow the Monks to monitor the distillation from the Monastory, 15 miles away from the distillery. One should never forget their vocation implies silence and solitude.

Heated by steam, the alcohol and the essence of the plants evaporate to the top of the swan neck, and ten are cooled down in the condenser becoming an alsoholate.

A last maceration of plants gives its color to the liqueur.

A final control is made by the Monks before the Chartreuse liqueur can be put to age in the oak-casks of the maturing cellar.

The Ageing Cellar in Voiron

Chartreuse ages in oak casks from Russia, Hungary or France.

After several years, the Chartreuse Monks will test the liqueur and decide of it is ready to be bootled. Only they can take this decision.

How to drink it ?

To bring out all its flavour, it should be consumed very cold, even on the rocks. Traditionally considered an after dinner drink, Chartreuse is more and more being enjoyed as a long drink.

 

LET'S TASTE !

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Cocktails...

Traditionnal Cocktails
 

Cocktail Chartreus'ito

- Muddle 1/4 lime and sugar in the glass,
- add fresh mint leaves, ice cubes
- 3 cl Green Chartreuse,
- top up with soda, 
- stir and serve with straws

Chatreuse Experience'

- 1 part of Green Chartreuse,

- 1 part of Vodka,

- 5 part of orange juice,

- 1 part of lemon juice,

- ice, shaker

'

Chartreuse Episcopale
- 2 part Yellow Chartreuse,

- 1 part Grren Chartreuse

The Vellocete'

 - 2 oz Green Chartreuse

- 1/4 oz pineapple juice

- 3/4 oz lime juice

- 1/2 oz falernum

- 2 dashes Angostura bitter

- 2 dashes Paychaud's bitter

- Mint sprig (garnish)

- Build the coktail in a Collins glass filled with crushed ice

- Swizzle until frost forms on the outside of the glass

- Garnish with a mint sprig

"Blue Blazer" Green Chartreuse (1/4 oz), on top on mint to burn.

Waiting for your comments ! :-)