A Thing of Beauty

I am a lover of botanical liquors. I recently ordered and received a bottle of Chartreuse Elixir Végétal from Absinthes.com and am awed by the beauty and complexity of the flavor.

This Elixer is the base from which Chartreuse was later made and like most botanical liquors started off as an apothecary medicine. A little history: In 1605, Francois Hannibal d’Estrees, marshal of the French king’s artillery, gave the Carthusian fathers at their monastery in Vauvert, near Paris, an already ancient manuscript bearing the title "Elixir of Long Life". Following the initial use of portions of the recipe at Vauvert, the manuscript was sent to La Grande Chartreuse. As in all monasteries, at La Grande Chartreuse there was an apothecary, Brother Jerome Maubec, who served the medical needs of the monastery and the residents of the local area with remedies made from local herbs, plants, spices and other ingredients. Early in the 18th century, Brother Maubec undertook the task of unraveling the manuscript’s complex directions for compounding the "Elixir of Long Life." Brother Maubec died before completing this challenge but, on his deathbed, he passed what he had learned on to his successor, Brother Antoine. Brother Antoine completed the translation of the recipe in 1737 and, although it apparently did not prolong life, with 130 herbs and spices infused into a base of 71 percent wine alcohol, it did have many curative powers. The monks became distillers of this medicinal elixir.

In my last post, I talked about Gin and my favorite cocktail, The Horsethief, which also goes by other names including the Obituary Cocktail. As a foodie and culinary drinker, I had to play a little with this wonderful elixir. First I added four drops to a Gin & Tonic and it was a glorious thing. I lean toward Bombay Saffire and it was a perfect marriage. Following this experiment, in the interest of culinary science you understand, I added a few drops to that Horsethief. This could be a permanent alteration, though a name change could be required; maybe a "Pegasus"? I'm open to suggestion by any who read this and try it.

As for the taste of the Elixir Végétal itself, it would be impossible to identify 130 herbs but what comes through for me is Angelica, Balsam Mint, maybe coriander and maybe a little anise. It is taken on sugar cubes as a digestive in Europe and can also be put in hot tea or used like bitters. It is an enchanting flavor well worth the investment.