Verveine du Velay

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Xephius
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Verveine du Velay

Post by Xephius »

Without having to marry into a French family to get one, can anyone share a base recipe for Verveine du Velay? While I was in the South of France some years ago I was given many varieties of this very nice drink from family's who had refined their own recipes. While I am sure my friends would have given me a base to start from (surely not the exact recipe as that was closely guarded), but it never occurred for me to ask.

Can anyone here help?

-X

Last edited by Xephius on Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
myles
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Re: Verveine de Velay

Post by myles »

That is a complex herbal liquer with more than 30 different herbs in it. I am sure there is a recipie out there. You could try LiquerWeb.
Xephius
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by Xephius »

Thanks for the site suggestion, unfortunately it did not have any information (that I could find) on Verveine. I am familiar with the complex nature of this tincture and the variety of herbs that go into it's creations. While I was staying with some friends in France, I was shown the materials used in its making. But at the time I had no interest in making it myself so I didn't ask. Over the years I have lost contact with my them and now have no way to locate them, or a recipe to make Verveine.

I thought it was a long shot to ask anyway, it is a very obscure drink that few have hear of much less had. I will keep an eye on this posting in hopes that someone might stumble across a basic recipe.

Again, I am not looking for anyone's family secret here, just a base to work up, I will do the tuning to my taste.

Thanks,
-X

EDragon
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by EDragon »

Any luck yet?
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bearriver
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by bearriver »

Holy thread resurrection batman. Where did you find this thing?

Xephius hasn't been here in 4-5 years...
EDragon
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by EDragon »

bearriver :
I found it while searching here (and amongst the vast reservouirs of the web) for a recipe (and/or even just a full ingredient list) for Verveine drinks. :)

I'd give half a kidney for the recipe to Chartreuse and this :P

ED
Dan P.
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by Dan P. »

You could probably start with Lemon Verbena, aka Aloysia citrodora, aka Verveine.
chocdoc
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by chocdoc »

EDragon wrote:bearriver :
I found it while searching here (and amongst the vast reservouirs of the web) for a recipe (and/or even just a full ingredient list) for Verveine drinks. :)

I'd give half a kidney for the recipe to Chartreuse and this :P

ED
1/4 of a kidney will get you Chartreuse -

http://books.google.ca/books?id=li8tAAA ... &q&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Dan P.
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by Dan P. »

sweet find, chocdoc!
chocdoc
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by chocdoc »

Have all the ingredients lined up (had to get the genepi) - intend to put some together in the next couple of weeks - think I have enough neutral left for my trials.
sweeps
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by sweeps »

I've used the Duplais recipes several times with good results. There's also this one:

http://books.google.com/books?id=xhULAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA119" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

There is a little discussion on this topic here:

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =4&t=26625

The site that distributes Verveine du Velay gives a partial list of ingredients - verbena, angelica, sage, coriander, rosemary, pine buds, thyme, juniper, nutmeg, clove and banyan. The drink seems very much influenced by Chartreuse, with a 55ABV green and a 40ABV yellow, as well as distillation and aging processes that seem similar. Perhaps you could use the Duplais Chartreuse recipe as a starting point and swap out some of the ingredients?
chocdoc
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by chocdoc »

Another mention I found online -

Verte (green): Huge, vegetal aromas of lemon verbena, basil, angelica, sage, coriander, rosemary, tarragon, evergreen shrubs, pine cones, thyme, parsley, juniper, leaves, nutmeg and allspice invite you to taste. The full-bodied palate is rich, concentrated, smooth and strong revealing the aromas in a balanced, graceful and harmonious demonstration as flavors. The finish is gorgeous, peaceful and subtle; it lingers in a measured restatement of the flavors.
sweeps
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by sweeps »

Sounds more like tasters notes than actual ingredients.

I did find a couple more ingredients in both the green and yellow versions - tartrazine and sulphan blue, both artificial colors. Sulphan blue is banned in the US and there have been attempts to get tartrazine banned too. I suspect the dangers of these compounds have been exaggerated, but I'm pretty sure that they were not in the origianl formulation of the drink.
chocdoc
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by chocdoc »

A few of the books I have on making these particular formulae stress not using herbs to colour them as they will turn an unappetizing colour in a very short while. Duplais gives formulas for colours. Hope this link will take you to it.

http://books.google.ca/books?id=pFFmEJJ ... rs&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
sweeps
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by sweeps »

Depends on which colors. Green is tough to do all naturally because of the tendency of chlorophyll to turn brown. However, all the top absinthes seem to have used natural colorings and the tendency to age towards a feuille morte color is seen as a disirable thing in vintage absinthes, showing that it wasn't colored with toxic copper compounds, which was not uncommon back in the day.

Yellow is much easier. Saffron stays a vibrant yellow color for quite a while. Although it is not exactly cheap, a little bit of it colors a lot of liquid. Dark bottles help keep the color longer, although it's tempting to show off your pretty liquids in clear glass.

BTW, the copy of Duplais you linked to is a limited preview. Here's the full version:

http://books.google.com/books?id=li8tAA ... &q&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I have this on speed dial in my browser. :)
EDragon
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by EDragon »

Great thread everyone!

If the Duplais book is correct on the Chartreuse then it completely kills the 130+ herbs and plants propaganda I've read :( Though perhaps this is more the commercial version rather than the original one that seems to be packaged as Elixir Vegetal these days.

Thanks for the finds on Vervaine! If I find any more info, or come up with a good recipe I'll share it.
sweeps
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Re: Verveine du Velay

Post by sweeps »

Duplais says those recipes give "perfect imitations", rather than claiming them to be the original recipes.
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