Chartreuse Status

P

Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey
For those here who like Chartreuse as I do, the copy of the WSJ article at this link might be of interest. I paid a "fortune" for my last bottle recently as it had to come from France -- there was none to be found in the U.S.

Chartreuse Status

. . . . . . Pete
 
Speaking from experience, drinking Chartreuse in Los Angeles in the 90s conferred Status with a capital S, but mainly in the eyes of the bartenders (this was the pre "mixologist" days). The fact that I was ordering Chartreuse on the rocks with a water back instead of just doing Jäger shots like everyone else at the Whiskey conveyed to the people behind the bar that I either worked for a record label or sold cocaine because they were the only people in the joint with an expense account big enough to drink something klassy like Chartreuse. Little did they know about the reality of my situation!

Best of all was the Dresden Room. When I'd go with friends to see Marty & Elayne and asked for Chartreuse, they'd ask if I wanted it from the big green bottle. Yeah, they would pour VEP for about $7 a glass (no charge for the water.) and I'd leave a big tip. They'd go through a couple of bottles of Jägermeister a night and I was apparently the only person ordering Chartreuse at all.

So yeah, Chartreuse conveyed status back then, and it does now, much in the same way that Pappy Van Winkle does (and the same manner that drinking Blanton's implies that you're in the presence of an aspirational Bourbon arriviste.)(and do periods come before the close-parenthesis or after?)

I'm not sure what to think about the monks getting all religious and capping production of Chartreuse so they can pray and meditate and do whatever it is that monks do. It seems very noble, and counter to the goals of most church hierarchies I'm familiar with, which is make as much money as you can to build a bigger church to attract more people who'l give you more money to get even bigger and make MORE money. It's like being promised to be able to go to heaven when you die and you get there and are greeted by Billy Graham, Reverend Ike, and Dr. Gene Scott and they'll all charging service fees to get assigned to a better cloud or be issued a Lyon & Healy concert harp instead of a lyre or zither or swinette instead.

-Eden (or maybe the monks are just building value into the organization with the longterm goal to sell out to Diagio to raise capital and move their wealth into a cannabis operation?)
 
I make it at home. One of the easiest cocktails to mix. Now that we’re FINALLY out of the rainy season and temperatures are climbing, it’s gin season.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
What's to become of the Last Word, one of my favorite cocktails?
Click to expand...
I worry the same. Unrelated aside Jeff, but I did make a fun riff on a Last Word a few weeks ago swapping out the maraschino liqueur for an equal amount of Cocchi Americano Blanco with an infusion of (raw, sliced) shishito peppers. Worked nicely, gave it a bit more bite. Same infused Cocchi also made for an excellent Corpse Reviver #2.
 
Between shortages, I was able to buy a 750 of Green from K&L. I've only used a couple of ounces. I should probably put that bottle under lock and key!
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
What's to become of the Last Word, one of my favorite cocktails?
Click to expand...

Dolin's Genepy, which is from the same class of liqueurs as Chartreuse, does well as a replacement in cocktails. It's also delicious on its own. Not quite as good as Chartreuse, but also much less expensive and easier to find.
 
This whole thing is so weird. Chartreuse used to just sit on shelves. Even the VEP bottles weren't hard to find. It was considered a curiosity. Most people I poured it for over the years didn't like it (green or yellow).

I don't doubt there's been an increase in demand, but would be surprised if its really that significant. I guess that leaves those market-manipulating monks. By creating scarcity on a product with inelastic demand, they get to increase pricing, realizing the same or greater profits on lesser productivity (and, presumably, work). Pax vobiscum.
 
originally posted by Saul Mutchnick:
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
What's to become of the Last Word, one of my favorite cocktails?
Click to expand...

Dolin's Genepy, which is from the same class of liqueurs as Chartreuse, does well as a replacement in cocktails. It's also delicious on its own. Not quite as good as Chartreuse, but also much less expensive and easier to find.
Click to expand...

Yes and other Genepy marques aren't too hard to find.
 
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:
I'm not sure what to think about the monks getting all religious and capping production of Chartreuse so they can pray and meditate and do whatever it is that monks do.
Click to expand...

Maybe the monks are real and simply know their limits?
 
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