Totally understandable, Toby...we were lucky enough for you to share your recipes/tips/insight with us in the first place. Thank you for everything...it has been more than appreciated.

Toby,

Thanks for making this thread unique and spectacular, truly unique and truly spectacular. I was lucky to catch it.

chowhunt46

Doh! I need to come into the Drink threads more often. I would have loved to have gotten the recipe for this year's summer sangria. Oh well.

Solution: go to TVH, order cocktail, ask bartender for recipe.

Requires: 1 pen, 1 cocktail napkin

Thank you, Toby, for all your help and for starting me off on my amateur mixological adventures. You made at least one convert here.

Agreed Jsagoff, I've never had a refusal when I've asked for a recipe

jsagoff wrote:Requires: 1 pen, 1 cocktail napkin

Well, in my case it also requires a 50-mile drive (round trip).

But you're right, the barkeeps at TVH are very accomodating, especially in this regard.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

jsagoff wrote:Requires: 1 pen, 1 cocktail napkin

Well, in my case it also requires a 50-mile drive (round trip).

If you pay my gas money and bar tab, I'll ask the bartender any questions you like.

I'll even supply my own pen.

Since Toby quit for reasons of time and energy rather than a philosophical conversion, I am going to share at least the rough outlines of the cocktails I tried/asked about last night when I stopped in at TVH. This is to the best of my memory, so it may not be authoritative, but it's a start.

A Little Bed (deliciously fruity and meaty, just a really deliciously complex cocktail but certainly not for everyone)

1.5 oz Johnny Walker Red
1/4 oz+ Laphroaig
3/4 oz lemon
1/2 oz Apricot Brandy (the sweet kind, like Marie Brizard or Rothman and Winter)
3 dashes hellfire bitters (not sure on these, Henry said you could vaguely approximate them by macerating some chili peppers)

shake, strain, up.

In Bloom

2 oz cognac (Maison Surrenne)
3/4 lemon
1/2-3/4 simple
1/2 oz Apricot Eau de Vie (unsweet)
2? dashes Angostura

shake, strain, up

Blackberry Caprissima

2 oz Flor de Cana 4yr
half a lime, sectioned
1/2 oz demerara syrup
6 blackberries
optional (and I think improvement): 2 dashes Angostura

muddle limes with blackberries, add syrup and rum and shake. I think it was served over cracked ice, but as it wasn't my drink I didn't see it.

Nickel Manhattan Also nice and savory from all the dry vermouth!

2 oz Rittenhouse 100
1 oz Punt y Mes
1 oz Dolin Dry
Gilka Kummel Rinse
2-3 dashes Peychaud's bitters

stir, strain, up

Hope we can keep this thread going amongst ourselves!

Since I was an out of town visitor when I went to TVH and had it, would someone local kindly inquire about the proportions in the Dogwood Manhattan?

Ok, so I am trying to make the Dogwood, and even if I am not exactly correct, it has been a crowd pleaser tonight. In other words, this may not be correct, but it's pretty good just the same:

2 oz Woodford Reserve
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
1/4 oz Noilly Prat dry vermouth
2 dashes Fees Peach bitters
2 dashes Peychaud's
1 drop Angostura

Stir, strain, up.

I am using this mix of bitters in lieu of TVH house made peach. I think it works nicely. What do others think?

jsagoff wrote: Blackberry Caprissima

2 oz Flor de Cana 4yr
half a lime, sectioned
1/2 oz demerara syrup
6 blackberries
optional (and I think improvement): 2 dashes Angostura

muddle limes with blackberries, add syrup and rum and shake. I think it was served over cracked ice, but as it wasn't my drink I didn't see it.

The Blackberry Caipirissima is somewhat unusual in the world of the Violet Hour, as it is served unstrained and on the shaker ice, garbage and all.

Tonight, I was in the mood for a Last Word, however I was out of Maraschino Liqueur. I realized that I had a bunch of pineapple infused gin that happened to contain quite a bit of maraschino in it, as well as the gin.

I made something I call The Last Riviera tonight with the following recipe:

2oz Pineapple Infused Gin (follow Toby's recipe for the Riviera)
3/4oz Lemon Juice
3/4oz Simple (1:1)
1/2oz Green Chartruese
1oz Egg White (1 egg white)

Shake it over ice, pour, dream of the Riviera, and shut up.

Questions about the Autumn Sazerac...

I had one (or two) last week at the Violet Hour. I then promptly tried to recreate the cocktail with a buddy at a gathering over the weekend. During our experiments we tried at least 3 different ryes (but not the Beam) and replacing the Herbsaint with Absinthe (La Muse Verte ?). The later got very mixed feedback from the tasters.

One thing I noticed though that had me scratching my head is that for all of the variation we tried, we got really close but still seemed to be missing something from the original. I also thought that when I had the drink at the Violet Hour that it was opaque or cloudy while ours were clear/translucent.

So my questions are 1) does anyone know if there is anything in the drink besides rye, Apfel Korn, Herbsaint & Peychaud's and 2) can anyone confirm or deny the cloudiness or clarity of the drink?

Thanks!!!

HI

Dropping in for a hot sec to say hi and tell y'all how cool it is that this thread is going on without me. It is awesome that you are asking questions, answering them, and generally being thoughtful about TVH cocktails. I will stop in when I can and add a bit here and there.

The Last Riviera sounds amazing. Wish I had thought of it.

There is nothing in the Saz but those listed. Did you chill your glass with crushed ice and a little of the Herbsaint? This is what usually makes the drink look cloudy. It also cuts the proof/opens up the spirit. It makes a HUGE difference.

I am starting to work on a project in Indianapolis, Indiana. If any of you have tips, suggestions on places to eat, ect Please, please reach out to me.

Cheers,

Toby

We did an Herbsaint rinse but did not chill the glass with Ice & Herbsaint. I will definitely try that next time.

Thanks for the tip, Toby!!!

Alchemist wrote:Dropping in for a hot sec to say hi and tell y'all how cool it is that this thread is going on without me. It is awesome that you are asking questions, answering them, and generally being thoughtful about TVH cocktails. I will stop in when I can and add a bit here and there.

. . .

I am starting to work on a project in Indianapolis, Indiana. If any of you have tips, suggestions on places to eat, ect Please, please reach out to me.

Thanks, Toby, for all your contributions. I've learned a lot here and even more at The Violet Hour itself.

I hope things go well in Indianapolis. Below are some links to spots I've enjoyed there. It's just my personal list of places with character, not at all a Best Of compilation.

Shapiro's
Obviously.

John's Famous Stew
A favorite of mine, with terrific stew (get the hot).

Workingman's Friend
Burgers and beer in a classic no-frills tavern.

Plump's Last Shot
I hate sports bars but this one is more than okay.

The Rathskeller
More for beer than food in a wonderful old building.

St Elmo Steak House
Have a shrimp cocktail (go early when the horseradish is newly grated) and a drink (nothing special) at the bar.

Ayres Tea Room
Chicken Velvet Soup and Ham Loaf with the Ladies Who Lunch (only if you're in a special mood).

Claus' German Sausage
An excellent market, not a restaurant.

Somehow I haven't yet visited Hollyhock Hill (plenty of good info in this thread) but it's probably an essential stop.

So, I stepped out on the Violet Hour on Saturday night when I took a friend to The Drawing Room. I am so sorry! It didn't mean anything! The drinks were enormously inventive and delicious to the point of being symphonic, but my imploring request for recipes or tips were coldly shot down by two of the bartenders, who thought they'd lose my business by sharing their secrets. It's because of Toby's and TVH's openness and forums like this and the trust they show their clientele that they will always have my business, and the distrust I felt at the Drawing Room has discouraged me from continuing to patronize them.

But there was a delicious drink there called the Anthurium that was composed of Right gin (sub Plymouth?), blackberry puree, Aperol, basil, lime juice, agave nectar, and a soda top. I'm going to try to craft this tonight, but maybe some of you want to help me out in my quest to devise a delicious concoction from these ingredients?

Ok, I'll take a stab:

Randy's Anthurium er, ah, the Ranthurium
1.5 oz gin
.5 oz Aperol (maybe sub .25 Campari?)
.5 oz of blackberry puree (or 5 heavily muddled fresh?)
.5 oz lime juice
.5 oz agave nectar
bunch of basil
soda to top

Add fresh or thawed blackberries to mixer. Squirt of agave. Lime. Muddle the blackberries until completely destroyed. Stuff in the basil and muddle (or not, and let the ice do the work on it). Add the gin, Aperol, fill with ice, SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE (you get the idea). Strain into collins glass with ice (shard be nice here!) top with soda. Garnish with basil leaf pulled part way through a blackberry (is this possible?)

Ok, that's where I would start. However, my basil just died due to snow and I have no Aperol which is why I would be trying Campari. Do I have enough gin?

<edited UP version>
Ranthurium
2 oz gin
.5 oz Aperol (maybe sub .25 Campari?)
1 oz of blackberry puree (or 10 heavily muddled fresh?)
.5 oz lime juice
.5 oz agave nectar
bunch of basil
soda to top

Add the blackberries, agave and lime to shaker. Muddle heavily. Add basil and muddle (or not), add gin, Aperol, and ice. Shake the hell out of it until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with a splash of COLD soda. Screw the garnish. Just enjoy this one.

Wow! That was quick, Caver! I'd only change three things -- I'd bump the gin to two, increase the number of blackberries (this drink was heavy on the blackberry) and the drink was served straight up. The soda top w/o ice gave the drink an extra punch mid-sip -- the carbonation carried the flavors through even more strongly, if you get what I'm saying. There wasn't a lot of soda -- just a splash, but it worked wonders.

I like it. I thought I was low on the gin, and serving this on the rocks takes it in a direction more like a mojito, only gin instead of rum, basil instead of mint, agave instead of sugar, etc. . .

So much blackberry really would transform this, and I do understand about the soda. Just lifts the flavors into your nose! I was also second-guessing my .5 oz of agave thinking that was maybe too much, but with more fruit, it probably makes sense, and the extra .5 of gin might keep it from being too sweet. Now, if we double the recipe, we could sit and enjoy two of these and have a nice conversation!

caver01 wrote:I like it. I thought I was low on the gin, and serving this on the rocks takes it in a direction more like a mojito, only gin instead of rum, basil instead of mint, agave instead of sugar, etc. . .

So much blackberry really would transform this, and I do understand about the soda. Just lifts the flavors into your nose! I was also second-guessing my .5 oz of agave thinking that was maybe too much, but with more fruit, it probably makes sense, and the extra .5 of gin might keep it from being too sweet. Now, if we double the recipe, we could sit and enjoy two of these and have a nice conversation!

Just name the time and place, and I'm there

As I mentioned earlier, I have no basil, but I decided to try making it anyway without it. I know, the basil probably brings a significant, yet subtle component to the drink, and after tasting it, I wish I had some. Nevertheless, this drink is delicious. I subbed Campari for the Aperol, and used the full .5 ounces. I only had frozen blackberries, so I microwaved them for about 25 seconds to thaw them. It definitely needed 10. I double strained the result over ice in a collins glass.

Ranthurium:

"This drink has a fever, and the only prescription.....is more blackberries."

Seriously, the color was even darker at TDR. Try 15?

Naa, I think I know what the difference is. I used muddled berries and you described a puree. A lot of the color from the berries remained in my shaker and strainer. Those tiny "skins" of the little berry sections would contribute a lot of dark purple. Had I made a puree, or something akin to Toby's cordial as used in the Briar Patch, I bet I would have retained a ton of dark color. Also, without double-straining you'd see little chunks of blackberry floating in the drink which might help, but I just didn't want to deal with that stuff in the straw.

Now, I have to say, despite the missing color component, the flavor of the berries was there and the overall combination was delicious. Basil would have elevated it one more notch.

Perhaps I have just deviated too much from the original, what with my muddling instead of puree, Campari instead of Aperol, lack of basil. . . to really think of it as the same drink. But I am certain that with an honest to goodness puree, you'd get a darker drink. I really don't think 15 berries or even 50 would make enough difference in the color if all I am doing with them is muddling and then straining the result.

Anybody wanna try with a puree? Perhaps I'll give it a shot. I have plenty of these dudes frozen.

Ok, back to some of Toby's recipes, I would like to point out, especially for Khaopaat that there are a few more THV recipes that are basically in the public domain via YouTube. Many of you probably already know this, but if you search Toby Maloney on YouTube, you get a selection of "Cocktail Minute" videos. I have tried to transcribe a few of them. Some mention all of the quantities, others require keen observation of the jigger! I hope I am close on these:

IRON CROSS
This drink was named the Iron Cross because you have to shake it so hard your arms feel like you just did a gymnastics routine.
1.5 ounces pisco
.75 ounce lemon juice
.75 ounce simple syrup
1 egg white
3 drops orange flower water
2 dashes house made summer bitters: grapefruit, lavender notes

glass: coupe
ice: none
garnish: 4 drops Angostura, swirled

Mime shake. Add ice and shake very hard and long to chill and create meringue. Pound shaker once on bar top and allow drink to settle a moment. Strain. Meringue appears last, so if separating into two vessels, be sure to add early to both, and reserve meringue to top each. Garnish. Serve.


MALONEY NEGRONI
Riff on classic Negroni, more of a drinker's Negroni.
.5 ounce Campari
1 ounce Carpano Anitica Forumula Vermouth
3 ounces gin, bold juniper and citrus
11 drops orange bitters, just shy of 3 dashes

Glass: coupe
Garnish: flamed orange peel
Ice: none

Build over ice in a mixing glass. Stir. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a flamed orange twist.



SOUTHSIDE
1 bunch mint, large stem end removed
.75 ounces lime juice, freshly squeezed
.75 ounces simple syrup, 1:1
1.5 ounces Beefeater gin
1 dashes Angostura bitters

glass: coupe
ice: none
garnish: single mint leaf, spank mint over top

Gently bruise the mint in the bottom a shaker. Add the other ingredients plus ice. Shake. Strain. Garnish.


WHISKEY SMASH
2 ounces rye
1 ounce simple syrup
4 slices lemon, 1/8th slices
1 dash lemon bitters

glass: Rocks or old fashioned
ice: sphere or chunk
garnish: Mint bouquet, freshly cut and another, spanked over the top

Drop 4, 1/8 lemon wedges into a mixer and muddle to extract the juice and essential oils. Remove the stems from and add a bunch of mint. Gently bruise the mint with a muddler. Add remaining ingredients. Shake. Strain. Shake liquid out of "garbage". Garnish.

Well, this has quieted down a bit. I went back through a few of the pages of this tread and noticed that jsagoff is holding out on us!

Hey jsagoff, a few pages back you mentioned you had the proportions for some of the spring menu--specifically, the Seeing Traces and the Sitting Limbo. I think we were hoping Toby would share them, but given that you also mentioned making them at home, perhaps you could share what you found. We can at least keep this going a little longer, right?

Hey --

I guess I have been holding out. Let's see what I can recall from the depths of my hazy memory....

<b> Seeing Traces </b>

2 oz bourbon
3/4 oz lemon
1 oz Lillet Blanc
1/2 oz demerara syrup
1/4 oz ginger syrup (see above for instructions)
4 drops orange flower water
egg white

Build all ingredients except for orange flower water in shaker. Shake once without ice, then long and hard w/ice. Strain into glass and add orange flower water for aromatics.

Sitting Limbo -- as a word of caution, this drink didn't work for me -- I found the ingredients never really came together and while I could taste them all they kinda did their own thing and didn't turn into anything symphonic.

2 oz gin (beefeater)
3/4 pineapple juice
1/2 oz Marie Brizard Apry
There must have been some lemon but I forget how much -- experiment
1/4 oz St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram

This drink was built over crushed ice like a Tom Collins. Combine and stir.

Can't wait for the Winter Menu. The Giralamo Sour was another favorite of the autumn, but I honestly can't remember the recipe. It tastes like sandalwood, which you'd think would be disgusting, but it's actually amazing.

Hey, Thanks jsagoff!

I wanted to post a note saying that I tried the Paper Airplane Cocktail at home and I have to say, Wow! I think Toby's comment about it was that it's dry, but you cannot put it down without wanting another sip. He's right. My wife doesn't care for sweeter cocktails, so this really fits the bill. When it first hits your mouth you quickly get a feeling that it's going to be this sweet and sour drink, but then the sweet never really comes and it's replaced with perfect bitterness. It's a surprise and a treat in the mouth. I highly recommend this one, especially for anyone curious about Campari.

I am not sure if this is a cocktail for those that are newbie’s to Campari. It is a Sammy J. Ross (of M&H) cocktail and not for the faint of heart. But it certainly has that lick smacking dryness that is very intriguing.

The Sitting Limbo is a tough drink. It's all about tweaking it in the shaker before you pour it. Its all about making it right. I know amazing bartenders who tweak a drink 3 times before it goes in a glass. Trust your tongue.

I love that this thread is still going on. I thank you for your keen minds and razor taste buds. It gives me great joy that what we are doing at TVH is still, 2.1/5 years is being talked about and diseceted. The work here is ongoing and gets harder and harder.

Thank you again for your vigilance,

Toby

caver01 wrote:I would like to point out, especially for Khaopaat that there are a few more THV recipes that are basically in the public domain via YouTube.

I believe there is also a thread on eGullet with a number of recipes from The Violet Hour.