The book of spells, in which the trade secrets of one of the most famous liqueurs in the world are recorded, was given to them in 1605 and only the monks hold the secret of the 130 plants which are part of its composition. A monk and a priest watch over the distillation in Voiron, in this unique place which is also the biggest liqueur cellar in the world.

But to keep their vow of silence and limit the company of others, they also watch and correct manufacturing… by computer from the monastery.

The Grande Chartreuse cannot be visited. One can see sometimes from afar the monks going for a walk. A museum which reconstructs their lifestyle, the Corrérie, is installed at two kilometres from the Abbey, this is a perfect solution.

The Chartreuse liqueur is mythical. There is first of all a Plant Elixir, the Green Chartreuse (55 °) and the yellow Chartreuse (40 °), some other products such as génépi, gentian, walnut and fruit liqueurs. But the rarest and the one which the collectors enjoy the most, is the Tarragone, made in Spain, during the monks exile, between 1903 and 1930.

Chartreuse is everywhere, in literature (Scott Fitzgerald in Gatsby, the Magnificent), in a peach in jelly served during the last dinner on the Titanic; General de Gaulle liked to crunch his Chartreuse chocolate, in the evening, and the Queen Mother of England was a Chartreuse enthusiast.

And if Tsar Nicolas II used to add yellow Chartreuse to his Champagne, Alpine farmers also poured some Chartreuse Plant Elixir into the water they gave to cows to treat their stomachache. Universal!

Alcohol abuse is dangerous to health !