The production of Chartreuse, the curious green (and yellow) libation made by Carthusian monks in the mountains of France, was capped in 2019 — the first time in 200 years.

In a recent letter, Carthusian monks explain they are scaling back because they believe their lives should be dedicated to prayer and solitude rather than producing the liqueur.

Rev. Michael K. Holleran, a former monk, told The New York Times, "There's only so much Chartreuse you can make without ruining the balance of monastic life."

The January 2023 letter obtained by Gin Raiders also cites environmental concerns as another reason for the decrease in production.

The letter stated, "Making millions of cases does not make sense in today's environmental context and will have a negative impact on the planet in the very short term."

Producing Chartreuse is a resource-consuming process, and for the monks to make a year's worth of the vibrant liqueur, they have to use about 40 tons of blended ingredients.

With the monks looking to, per their letter, "do less but better and for longer," it looks as though Chartreuse production will be capped for the time being.