The liqueur of the Isérois monks is enjoying unprecedented popularity across the Atlantic. However, the Chartreux refuse to respond to the explosion in demand.
By Valentin Dechambre for Le Point
© JOEL SAGET / AFP
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Lhe Chartreuse has been produced for more than four centuries in Isère. A regional specialty which, against all odds, crossed the Atlantic, until experiencing an unexpected enthusiasm for UNITED STATESespecially since the covid-19 pandemic. Today, the liqueur has become a sought-after product, a victim of its own success, as the New York Times.
The annual production of spirits no longer meets the demand for France, and also abroad. What cause consternation in the United States. Originally produced to support the economy of the Grande Chartreuse monastery, the liqueur has become a favorite with bartenders. But, in 2021, the monks from Isère have discreetly decided to reduce production.
Avoid a negative impact on the planet
And, last January, they announced that they wanted to limit their production to focus on their first objective: “to protect monastic life and to consecrate [leur] time for solitude and prayer”. Monks do not seek to cultivate liquor beyond what they need to maintain their order. They consider that producing millions of cases would make no sense in the current environmental contextrisking a negative impact on the planet in the very short term.
READ ALSODrinking at the office or with colleagues is less and less fun for young peopleBefore the pandemic, chartreuse was mainly used in upscale bars and restaurants for making cocktails. During the Covid crisis, sales should logically have collapsed due to the closure of establishments. And yet… Chartreuse sales have increased with individuals, who have started making their own cocktails at home. With monk production reduced in 2021, the effects are only being felt now. Consumers, both French and American, must therefore arm themselves with patience to obtain a bottle of liqueur.
2023-05-06 21:07:00
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