Chartreuse (Liqueur)

Chartreuse is a French herbal liqueur, most recognized in its bright green form, distilled and aged from a secret blend of roughly 130 herbs, plants and flowers before sweetening. It is produced by Carthusian monks, the recipe known at any one time to only two monks, tracing back to an alchemical manuscript given to the order in 1605, with formal production of the modern liqueur beginning in 1737. Depending on the variety it ranges from about 40 to 69 percent alcohol by volume, and the color chartreuse itself takes its name from the drink rather than the reverse. Renewed popularity during the early twenty first century craft cocktail movement, combined with a 2019 decision by the monks to cap production, has led to ongoing worldwide shortages.