Chartreuse Yellow is made from the same plants as Green Chartreuse, but in different proportions.
Founded in 1084 by San Bruno, the Carthusian Order is one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world.
In 1605, the d’Estrées Marshall delivered a Manuscript to these Christian monks that revealed the recipe to an "Elixir of Long Life", of which no one knows the original origin.
Photo of the Distillery
During this time period, only monks and apothecaries possessed the knowledge necessary to work with plants. Although they had this knowledge, the Elixir proved to be too complicated and was only partially utilized for many decades.
In 1737, the Grande-Chartreuse monastery (near Grenoble) decided to conduct a thorough study of the recipe, and it discovered the exact formula of the recipe.
Although the product was now able to be produced in large amounts, its commercialization was very limited due to the technology of the time; in fact, the product was delivered by mule to its merchants. Today it is produced just as it was hundreds of years ago, but is now known as “Grande-Chartreuse Plant Elixir” and has an alcohol content of 71º.
The liqueurs produced by the Carthusian Order do not contain additives or chemicals; the colour is obtained from the plants used during the production process. The 130 plants used in the recipe are first soaked in alcohol and distilled. After this process, distilled honey and sugar syrup are added to obtain Green or Yellow Liqueur, and the mixtures are aged in oak barrels before they are commercialized.
Ageing Barrels
In 1838, the formula was adapted to produce a sweeter and smoother liqueur and was called CHARTREUSE YELLOW, with 40º.
Chartreuse Yellow (Chartreuse Jaune) 40°
Chartreuse Yellow is produced with the same ingredients as Chartreuse Green, but in different proportions to create a smoother taste.
