Charteuse has traditionally existed in three varieties of descending potency; the medicinal elixir variety, the green variety, and the yellow variety. The elixir is no longer available in the USA, but the green variety is potent enough to satisfy anyone at 110 proof.

Though the precise herbs in chartreuse are not publically known, there is a small quantity of thujone, the active chemical in wormwood (and consequently, absinthe.) This considered, it is no surprise that the intoxication caused by chartruese is both stronger than it's alcohol content would otherwise indicate, and slightly different because of thujone's psychoactive qualities.

Though chartruese is very sweet, it's strong alcohol content and fierce herbal flavor is an acquired taste for some... it packs a whallop, and it's sometimes described as tasting similar to mouthwash.

Green chartreuse is particularly loved in the NYC gothic community because of it's efficiency; a very small quantity can maintain a buzz for most of an evening, and a larger quantity can take the sharp edges off of everything.

Chartreuse is the only liqueur to have a color named after it.