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GLOSSARIAL
owed its invention to early French monks, who knew
about what they wanted and got it. These monks were
of the Carthusian Order, and the liqueur was made
~nly
at their monastery in the Grande Chartreuse, in the
French Alps. The formula for its preparation was said
to be known only to the Father Superior of the Order.
When the monks were expelled from France,
in
1903,
they spirited the secret of its preparation to Tarragona,
in Spain, whehce comes an herb much esteemed by gour–
mets in the treatment ,of vinegar. Rival manufactories
were then set up in France, but their product was never
so good as the o.ijginal brand. Some thirty years or so
before their expu1sion, the Carthiisian monks had suf–
fered a big loss in the destruction of their brandy ware–
houses, wherein was stored what was said to be the
largest stock of old Napoleon brandy in existence. Even
before prohibition came, as much as twenty dollars a
bottle was paid in New York for Chartt;euse dated
1869
or before. While the monks have kept their formula a
secret, analysts have named among the ingredients of
Chartreuse: balm leaves, orange peel, dried hyssop tops,
peppermint, wormwood, angelica seed and root, cinna–
mon, mace, cloves, Tonka beans,
ca:lamus aromaticus
and
cardamom. Some of the flavor, if not virtues of the prod–
uct, however,
wa~
ascribed to certain herbs which were
said to grow only in the neighborhood of the Grande
Chartreuse. There were three varieties of Chartreuse–
yellow, green, and white. Voltage, 43.
COINTREAU-A liqueur made in France, but not well
known in the United States before prohibition.
'
CREME DE CACAO-An extract of cocoa, made in
France. Used as a cordial or liqueur.