I remember my great grandmother putting a few drops on a sugar, to chear us up when we had like small injuries as kids, or drinking it in tiny tiny liquor glasses. At that time in France it was considered normal to give alcohol to kids, lol!
I remember it being a "woman's alcool", but I think I was before Absinthe became illegal, and I'm not too sure about that.
My mother has a bottle of 70% green in her cupboard for as long as I remember, drinking only a few drops in a tiny glass like once or twice a year. It's quite pricey so definitely ot something you drink like whisky with coke or ice
Never seen a man in the family drinking it, but maybe it was just a matter or taste. You can find several varieties, 37/40/55/70°, green or yellow, etc. In the south west you have the "Isara" which is like a different sort of yellow or green Chartreuse, but it doesn't taste as good (IMhO)! I also guess thhe recipe is completely different.
If you want to read about it, I recommend the short story from Alphonse Daudet "Le curé de Cucugnan", which is the story/confession of a monk in charge of tasting the Chartreuse in the abbey, about mostly how he found himself alcoholic (it is of course more complex and much better written than that).
Edit: liquorice taste, not to me. Maybe you're confusing with Pastis? Depending on brands, it can taste more liquorice or more anise. The "51" brand is more liquorice, the "Ricard" brand is more anise (remember famous advertising in the 50/60's "Ricard, l'apéro du routier" (Ricard, the truckers' aperitif). Another world!