Yellow Chartreuse Tarragona – 1966–1982 Period

The History of Tarragona Chartreuse

The history of Tarragona Chartreuse began in 1903. That year, the Carthusian Fathers were expelled from France as part of measures taken against religious congregations. Forced to leave their distillery at Fourvoirie in the Isère region, they departed the country, taking the secret recipe for their liqueur with them.

The Carthusians settled in Tarragona, Catalonia, where they resumed production. The bottles bore the words “Liqueur fabriquée à Tarragone par les Pères Chartreux”. Among enthusiasts, they gradually became known as “Tarragona Chartreuse” or simply “Tarragona”.

In France, the Carthusians’ property and trademark had been taken over by the Compagnie Fermière de la Grande-Chartreuse. The company attempted to produce a competing liqueur without access to the original recipe. Following its bankruptcy, the Carthusians recovered their trademark in 1929 and were gradually able to re-establish their activities in France.

Production in Spain did not end with their return. It continued in Tarragona alongside production in France. Over the decades, the shape, label, cap and capacity of the bottles changed. These details now enable specialists to distinguish between several production periods, although accurate dating often requires several features to be considered together.

Distillation in Tarragona ended in 1989, bringing more than eight decades of Carthusian presence in Catalonia to a close. Old bottles of Tarragona Chartreuse have since become sought-after witnesses to this remarkable history, which began in exile and continued long after production resumed in France.