Chartreuse liqueur, how to cook it at home and drink

Catholic monks do not shy away from alcohol, preferring to use it for their own purposes. When it comes to feeding all the servants of the order, caring for the sick and helping the poor, the trade in drinks and their use for medical purposes is not in doubt. It is to European monasticism that we owe the development of brewing, winemaking and distilling, as well as the emergence of a huge number of amazing liqueurs, such as Benedictine, Frangelico and, of course, the legendary Chartreuse. What is the liquor from the Carthusian monks and how to make it at home?

Chartreuse is a French herbal liqueur made by Carthusian monks since 1737 according to a recipe taken from an alchemical manuscript presented to them by Marshal François Hannibal d’Estre in 1605. Thanks to its 400-year history, it remains one of the oldest and most mysterious alcoholic beverages available to everyone. His recipe consists of 130 different herbs and other plants known at the same time to only two monks at the factory.

The liqueur is named after the monastery of Grande Chartreuse, located in the Chartreuse mountains in the Grenoble region of France. It is produced in the Order’s own factory in the nearby town of Voiron in Izire. Until the 1980s, Chartreuse was also produced in Spain, in the city of Tarragona, where monks in exile founded a new distillery (the history of the drink can be read on Wikipedia).

Varieties of Chartreuse liqueur

Chartreuse is a one of a kind herbal liqueur in many ways. You won’t find another liqueur that contains the same set of plants. There is simply no worthy replacement for Chartreuse.

The process of its production is also unique. Only two monks at the factory know the recipe. The production process begins in the herb room, where 130 herbs, roots, flowers and spices are assembled. All components are soaked in wine alcohol for about 8 hours and distilled. The resulting aromatic alcohol is diluted with sugar syrup, honey is added, brought to the required strength, and then aged for 5 years in huge oak barrels.

There are two varieties of Chartreuse:

• Green Chartreuse (Green Chartreuse) – a traditional liqueur with a strength of 55%. It owes its beautiful color only to herbal ingredients; according to the monks, no artificial dyes are used in production. It has an intense vegetal flavor with hints of cloves, citrus, thyme, rosemary and cinnamon.
• Yellow Chartreuse (Yellow Chartreuse) – a traditional liqueur with a strength of 40%. A softer and sweeter version of the Chartreuse that has been produced since 1838. This liqueur has citrus, violet and honey flavors accented with anise, coriander, licorice and saffron.

Among other things, the range includes:

• Chartres Acts (Chartreuse VEP, Vieillissement Exceptionnellement Prolongé) – made according to the same secret formula as a traditional liqueur, but undergoes longer aging in barrels, which achieves an amazing, mild taste. It exists in two versions: Green (54%) and Yellow (42%). Produced in limited quantities, each bottle is numbered, and the cap is filled with wax with a stamp imprint.
• Grand Chartreuse Herbal Elixir (Élixir Végétal de la Grande-Chartreuse) – a tribute to tradition, the first version of the liqueur, prepared in 1737. It is considered a medicine, a tonic. Sold in a small bottle in a wooden case. Fortress – 69%.
• 900th Anniversary Liqueur (Liqueur du 9° Centenaire) – made using Green Chartreuse technology, but slightly sweeter. It began to be produced in 1984 in honor of the 900th anniversary of the Grand Chartreuse monastery. It is bottled in 700 ml bottles, which were used in the 47th century. Fortress – XNUMX%.
• Chartreuse 1605 (Chartreuse 1605 – Liqueur d’Elixir) – created in 2005 on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the manuscript with the liqueur recipe given to the monks. The recipe is as close as possible to the first Green Charteuse, it has a more expressive taste.
• White Chartreuse (White Chartreuse) – a liquor with a strength of 30%, which the monks prepared in the period from 1860 to 1900. Now not issued.

The distillery also produces Genepie (Génépi des Pères Chartreux), a generic term for homemade local liqueurs based on alpine vegetation (mainly alpine sagebrush, also known as genepie). And also: Liqueur created by the best craftsmen of France “Sommeliers” (created in 2007 golden yellow Chartreuse in collaboration with the best French sommeliers), Walnut Liqueur (nut liqueur, similar to Nocino) and The Gentiane (aperitif based on Alpine flowers ).

Chartreuse Imitation Recipes

The traditional Chartreuse recipe is a trade secret, and few would dare to make a liqueur using all 130 ingredients, even if they were known. But there are some interesting imitations of it that can be brought to life at home.

The simplest recipe from a botanist who visited the factory in Voiron and saw a tank with some of the herbs and spices that make up the liquor sounds like this: take an assortment of dried and fresh herbs (lemon verbena, lemon balm, mint, fennel, thyme, angelica root , sage, fragrant pelargonium, lemon grass, chamomile, laurel, etc.), add whole spices to them (star anise, cloves, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, saffron), lemon or orange zest, soak everything in alcohol and dilute sugar syrup to desired strength.

But there are recipes that are more specific, closer to the original in terms of production method. Before studying them, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the recipes for homemade absinthe, the preparation technology of which is very similar to the preparation of French herbal liqueur.

Recipe for Chartreuse liqueur from the 1981 LVI reference book

The recipe was presented in the reference book “Recipes for alcoholic beverages and vodkas” in 1981, created by the All-Union Research Institute of Fermentation Products and prepared for printing by the Soviet publishing house “Light and Food Industry” specifically for distilleries as an instruction on which production should be based . Tested by dozens, and maybe hundreds of CIS home distillers.

All ingredients, except for 6 g of lemon balm (it will be used for dyeing), pour alcohol in a jar of a suitable volume. Close the jar tightly and leave in a dark, cool place for 5-7 days. After that, overtake along with the “swamp”, selecting heads and tails at your discretion. The yield of aromatic alcohol is highly dependent on the equipment available, but on average it is 1,1-1,2 liters of an 80% solution.

To get Chartreuse liqueur from aromatic alcohol, you need to make a blend: according to the reference book (calculated for human volumes), this is 368 ml of aromatic alcohol, 3,91 liters of 65,8% sugar syrup, alcohol and water based on the blend strength of 44%. The blend can be tinted with previously set aside lemon balm or artificial dyes can be used: indigo carmine or tartrazine (according to the reference). It is recommended to keep the finished liquor in an oak barrel, after which it is necessary to stain (for other ways to color green Chartreuse, see the next recipe).

Green Chartreuse Recipe by Pierre Duplais

The recipes are taken from the book “A Treatise on the Manufacture and Distillation of Alcoholic Liquors” by Pierre Duplais (unfortunately, I don’t know anything about the author). The book, which was reprinted 7 times from 1855 to 1900, describes the processes for the production of French distillates and the most popular drinks of that time. The manual was translated into English in 1871 and is actively used by our colleagues in the West to this day.

Of particular importance is the section on absinthe, which is in fact the most accurate and complete guide to recipes and production methods for the drink in the XNUMXth century. Chartreuse from this book was reproduced by many distillers in the USA and Europe, who noted its consistency and the exceptional taste of the resulting drink.

All ingredients insist in a dark cool place for 24 hours, then distill together with the “swamp”. You should get about 6 liters of aromatic alcohol. After that, you need to cook sugar syrup from 2,5 kilograms of sugar and 2,4 liters of water. Mix syrup with aromatic alcohol and add water if necessary to make 10 liters of solution.

For coloring, use a mixture of blue food coloring (for example, blue cornflower petals, which is often used to make blue absinthe) and saffron infusion. After reaching the desired color, the drink must be filtered. Of course, liquor can always be tinted using absinthe technology with lemon balm, hyssop and others like it, but the color will not last very long (it is believed that color fastness can be extended with citric acid).

Yellow Chartreuse Recipe by Pierre Duplais

Preparation is similar to the previous recipe. Dye with saffron.

White Chartreuse Recipe by Pierre Duplais

Preparation is similar to the previous two recipes. Coloring is not required.

Imitation of Genepi liqueur (Génépi, Genepi)

Genepie is a common name for liqueurs that are widely prepared in the European Alps, including the Carthusian monks. There is an opinion that it was Genepy who became the archetype of Chartreuse. The alpine liquor is based on alpine wormwood (Artemisia umbelliformis) and similar plants, which the locals call “genepi”. Here is one version of this liqueur:

Mix arugula, basil, mint and tarragon in a jar of a suitable volume, add alcohol, close the jar tightly and leave overnight in a dark, cool place. Strain the infusion, add to it wormwood, lemon balm, hyssop, mace and angelica, placed in a canvas bag or filter basket. Infuse for another 1-4 days with daily tasting. When the taste of the drink suits you, strain it, filter and add a simple syrup. Next, Genepy should be sent to rest in a cool place for 2-3 weeks. Shake well before tasting and strain.

How to drink Chartreuse liqueur

Chartreuse is a typical digestif, a drink that should be served after a meal to improve its digestion. Traditionally, the liqueur is drunk neat, chilled or with ice. But in the years of mixology development, Chartreuse seems to have settled on the bar shelves forever, as one of the most sought-after ingredients for mixed drinks. The green version of the liqueur is used more often. I offer several recipes for cocktails with Chartreuse.

Chartreuse is also great with coffee, hot chocolate, orange juice, 1:1 tequila, tonic water, ice cream and more.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!