Well, actually, I don’t recommend Chartreuse for everybody, because it’s not a drink everybody is ready for. This is for grown-up drinking. The flavor is herbal and complex, and you’ve got to have a certain sophistication of palate to appreciate it. If that’s you, give it a try.

Chartreuse is made by Carthusian monks at their motherhouse, La Grande Chartreuse, in the mountains near Grenoble. They contract out distribution, but they still do the actual production. The Carthusians are perhaps the most austere monastic order in the Catholic Church, and are dedicated solely to contemplative prayer. The liqueur is one of their chief means of support.