That story around "Elixir Végétal de la Grande Chartreuse" is really interesting, and it's a marvelous liqueur. It makes an interesting, if more medicinal, version of a gin gimlet. I came across this story about 15 years ago and got the only bottle I could get in the States at the time. The Carthusians who got that recipe still make it in their monastery in the mountains north of Grenoble. There is now, allegedly a shortage because the monks have cut back production and the demand for it went way up during COVID.
The Carthusians are an interesting order - they like practical things - and working animals. They developed the breed of cat named for them called the Chartreux. The legend is they descend from a breed of feral Syrian mountain cats the monks brought back from Crusade. The Montreal International Jazz festival's mascot is a blue Chartreux. De Gaulle had one names Gris Gris.
There is a line of Spanish horses descended from a stallion the Carthusians of Andalusia used to create the line. The breed registry goes back to the 15th century and is alleged to be the oldest breed registry in the world. My friend Terry Bowman who runs Starlight Stables in Missouri keeps Lipizzaners and was telling me about this horse very recently.
That story around "Elixir Végétal de la Grande Chartreuse" is really interesting, and it's a marvelous liqueur. It makes an interesting, if more medicinal, version of a gin gimlet. I came across this story about 15 years ago and got the only bottle I could get in the States at the time. The Carthusians who got that recipe still make it in their monastery in the mountains north of Grenoble. There is now, allegedly a shortage because the monks have cut back production and the demand for it went way up during COVID.
The Carthusians are an interesting order - they like practical things - and working animals. They developed the breed of cat named for them called the Chartreux. The legend is they descend from a breed of feral Syrian mountain cats the monks brought back from Crusade. The Montreal International Jazz festival's mascot is a blue Chartreux. De Gaulle had one names Gris Gris.
There is a line of Spanish horses descended from a stallion the Carthusians of Andalusia used to create the line. The breed registry goes back to the 15th century and is alleged to be the oldest breed registry in the world. My friend Terry Bowman who runs Starlight Stables in Missouri keeps Lipizzaners and was telling me about this horse very recently.