Thank god for monks! Chartreuse cocktails at Colt & Gray

Carthusian monks have been making Chartreuse since 1605 -- and at a Colorado Bartending Guild mixer at Colt & Gray on Wednesday, it quickly became clear that the French liquor has lost none of its power over four centuries.

Todd Richman, national brand ambassador for Chartreuse, was on hand to offer up some history...and cocktails, of course. Like many alcohols of that era, it was originally a botanical elixir (think Fernet Branca and Jagermeister), a mix of 130 herbal extracts. I tried a few cocktails made primarily with whiskey and either Green or Yellow Chartreuse -- and I am now, officially, a Chartreuse fan.

Next time you can't decide what to drink, order up a Tipperary or Yellow Daisy. The monks will thank you.