Chartreuse: The Monks' Secret Liqueur

Chartreuse Paris-Vauvert lets you explore the world of Chartreuse in the heart of Paris. It is the only official Chartreuse shop in the city, and alongside the liqueurs it sells a range of herbal teas.

What makes Chartreuse special is a recipe that has been kept strictly secret for centuries; only two monks are said to know it. Made with herbs gathered in the Alps, the extracted spirit rests for a long time in oak casks to build depth of flavor and aroma. Unlike the Élixir Végétal, which served as a health tonic, regular Chartreuse is a herbal liqueur made for enjoyment. Green Chartreuse (Chartreuse Verte) is 55% ABV, with an intense, rich herbal nose and a complex palate. Deep green and distinctly bitter, it is drunk as a digestif after a meal. Yellow Chartreuse (Chartreuse Jaune) is 40% ABV, sweeter and softer than the green, and a popular cocktail ingredient.

The history is just as intriguing. The Carthusian monks, who had practiced in France since the 11th century, lived at the Vauvert Monastery at the southern entrance to Paris from 1257 until the French Revolution. Today that site is the Jardin du Luxembourg, which is why the shop sits nearby. In 1605, the Duke of Estrées, a loyal servant of King Henri IV, gave the monks a remarkable old manuscript. It listed 130 medicinal herbs and plants and claimed that, blended precisely, they would yield an elixir of long life. After decades of work, the monks perfected the first Élixir Végétal, the ancestor of today's Chartreuse.

You can taste here, too. The free sample is the Élixir Végétal de la Grande-Chartreuse, served as a drop or two on a piece of meringue. There's a reason it's only a drop or two: at 69% ABV, it is a concentrated herbal extract meant to be taken in small amounts. It was originally made for medicinal and health purposes, and is typically taken after a meal to aid digestion, added in small amounts to herbal tea, or dripped onto a sugar cube. The herbal aroma, stronger than the alcohol itself, is striking.

The next stop is a French caviar shop, about a four-minute walk away. Cross at the crosswalk and keep going straight.