Chartreuse Cellars
Just 34 km from our campground in Savoie, immerse yourself in the region’s history by visiting the famous Chartreuse Cellars!
History of Chartreuse Liqueurs
The history of Chartreuse liqueurs dates back to the early 17th century, in 1605 to be exact, when the Parisian monks of the Chartreuse de Vauvert received from the Duke of Estrées a manuscript revealing the recipe for a mysterious elixir, composed of a vast number of the medicinal plants then known to apothecaries. Because the formula was so complex, it was not studied until 1737, by the apothecary monk at the Grande-Chartreuse near Grenoble. It took Brother Jérôme Maubec thirty years of research and experimentation to perfect the recipe for what became known as “the Grande-Chartreuse herbal elixir.”. The liqueur, made from more than 130 different plants, had an alcohol content of 70° at that time. Green Chartreuse, less potent at 55°, was perfected in 1840. It enjoyed great success in the Dauphiné region. Yellow Chartreuse, even milder, has an alcohol content of 43°. The history of Chartreuse’s production and marketing has been marked by turbulent periods: the French Revolution, the Carthusians’ exile to Spain in the early 20th century, and the destruction of the monks’ distillery in a landslide in 1935.
Production of Chartreuse
Chartreuse is still produced today by the Carthusian Fathers. The recipe, which is based on the ancestral manuscript of the Duke of Estrées, is kept secret: Only two monks from the Carthusian Order know the details of how the elixir is made. The liqueur still contains 130 plants. They are transported to the Monastery of Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, to the “herb room,” where they will be sorted, dried, ground, and measured out exactly according to the 1605 formula. The plants are then sent to the Aiguenoire distillery. There, they undergo maceration in alcohol and distillation in stills. The resulting alcoholates are then blended and mixed with honey and sugar syrup. The Carthusian monks jealously guard the secret of the liqueur’s green color. The elixir is then aged in the Voiron cellar, the longest liqueur cellar in the world. Bottling takes place on the same site, above the cellars.
Tour of the Chartreuse Cellars
Visiting the Chartreuse Cellars is a must-do activity during a weekend near Grenoble! To fully understand the history of Chartreuse and its production process, two complementary tours are available: one at the Grande Chartreuse Museum in Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, near the Carthusian monastery, and the other at the historic cellars in Voiron. Located 2 km from the monastery founded by Saint Bruno, the Grande Chartreuse Museum offers audio-guided tours from April through November. To explore the Voiron cellar, renowned for its record-breaking length, several options are available. You can opt for a standard tour of the site—that is, accompanied by a guide and followed by a tasting—or choose a more unique option by booking a themed tour: “Secrets of History,” “The Five Senses,” “Cocktails,” or a herbal tea workshop for children. The average duration of guided tours—whether themed or classic—is 1 hour and 30 minutes. The Chartreuse Wineries shop is open daily just a few kilometers from our campground near Voiron.
