1935 Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book

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.