Definition of the word chartreuse

The word "chartreuse" derives from the French monastic order, Les Chartreux, whose members wore a distinctive robe color that was a cross between green and yellow. The name "Les Chartreux" is believed to have originated from the Latin word "carta" meaning "paper" or "chart," as one of their early houses was built on the site of a former papermill. The monks went on to establish a monastery in Provence, France, in the 14th century, and it was here that the liqueur that would come to be known as chartreuse was born. The recipe for the drink was developed by the Carthusian monks as a medicinal remedy, utilizing over 130 herbs, spices, and oils. The premium green chartreuse, which is more commonly consumed today, was introduced in 1838, businessman and distiller, Alexandre Le Grand, purchased the recipe from the monastery, in order to prevent the claustrophobic order from going bankrupt. The word chartreuse came to be associated with the liqueur as the color of the monks' robes was also used in the production process. It's perhaps fitting, then, that chartreuse, the story goes, became popular with the literary and artistic avant-garde community of the time, as it seemed to epitomize the森林间荡游的莖能 цветы (blossoms in flux among the forest undergrowth) aesthetic espoused by the Surrealist movement.