Herb-based liqueur “Chartreuse” is very popular … However, supply is not expected to increase

• Chartreuse, a liqueur rich in history, is made by French Carthusian monks.
• In 2019, the monks limited production due to environmental concerns.
• Bartenders and fans have a hard time finding Chartreuse.

Chartreuse, a herbal liqueur with a rich history and high alcohol content, has been gaining popularity in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, but the producers have no plans to increase the supply.

With people flocking for the liqueur, the Carthusian monastery, which makes it in the foothills of the French Alps, is reluctant to increase production, The New York Times reports.

Unlike the shortage of wines and spirits during the pandemic, Chartreuse’s supply of both green and yellow has not kept up with demand, and fans and bartenders are desperate to get their hands on it.

“Before, it was always available, so I didn’t pay much attention to it,” Joshua Lutz, a longtime Chartreuse drinker, told The New York Times.

Now, however, when he travels or goes on business trips, he thinks he might be able to get one at a local liquor store, so he carries around a box to carry Chartreuse.

“I’ve had to hoard a little bit lately,” Lutz told the paper.

For bartenders, it’s a situation where they have to look for substitutes or substitutes for Chartreuse, which has been a staple of the cocktail revival since the 2000s.

According to The New York Times, Carthusian monks restricted the production of Chartreuse in 2019. To reduce the impact on the environment and focus more on solitude and prayer than ever before.

“I stand by the monks,” Tony Milichi, head of a bar in Queens, New York, told the paper.

“But I’m also responsible for the drinks menu.”

Working with a local vendor, Mirichi was able to double the amount of Chartreuse in his shop, but as long as the liqueur continues to be popular, it will remain out of reach for many. tells the New York Times that it will.

“There are a limited number of chartreuses that can be made without disturbing the balance of monastic life,” said former monk Michael K. Holleran, who oversaw chartreuse production in the 1980s.