The Violet Hour

[Mayur]

Sadly, looks like Toby will still be in NYC this weekend, so no chance for him to be behind the bar if/when I visit TVH. Oh, the irony! Still, I'm sure the place will not disappoint...

[EDIT: FWIW, you can't get bitters at liquor stores in NYC, the singular exception being LeNells in Brooklyn. I thought it might have been a legal thing, actually; something about selling grocery items in a liquor store. However, I haven't checked in on code.]

Edited October 20, 2007 by Mayur (log)

[san]

came in last night and had hands down the best manhattan i've ever had. hands down.

my wife and i agreed that the speakeasy type theme is totally nailed... the all-but-hidden front door, the entryway that consists of unpainted drywall and a concrete floor, and the night and day transition into an elegant series of 3 'rooms' seperated by huge hanging curtain dividers, oversized chairs, and chandeliers. it was much more elegant of an atmosphere than we were expecting (we wished we would have dressed up a little more). the music was almost strictly Johnny Cash, which fit the mood perfectly (although we did hear 3 or 4 songs twice in the 2 hours we were there). the service was noticeably slow at first (took about 20-25 minutes to sit and it took almost that long to get a drink order), but once we sat our hostess and server both were much more apologetic, sincere, and friendly than we would have expected. Once we got our first round and tasted the drinks we fully understood the 10-12 minute drink time and realized that these bartenders really mean business. we happily attributed the initial hiccup to the bar being busy and left agreeing that this place is as great of a bar as we've been to in Chicago, or anywhere else. we can't wait to go back and try the rest of the menu.

[Chris Amirault]

Friday night, three friends and I put ourselves in the hands of Michael and the other able bartenders at VH for two very enjoyable hours.

We arrived at around 9:00p and were seated almost immediately. Throughout the evening, the room seemed full but never crowded; we surmised that the doorman kept only enough people in the bar to fill the number of available seats, and never saw anyone standing extra at the bar, for example. That leant a subdued air to the place, as did the carefully chosen soundtrack featuring end-of-a-busy-week Tom Waits, Johnny Cash in his final, Rick Rubin years, and the like.

We ordered family-style, in three rounds. (This listing of drinks is an approximation; the other guests can correct my recollection if theirs is less hazy.)

1 Iron Cross, Poor Liza, Daisy 17, Lady Grey

I tried the Iron Cross because I was hell-bent to taste as many of the house bitters as possible. It was a work of genius and quality ingredients, with the bitters, orange flower water and egg whites standing out in particular. It showcases the remarkable grapefruit bitters extremely well, which play throughout the drink, not just at the top or finish. I didn't catch the pisco used; Toby, can you let us know?

The Poor Liza was another perfect drink, just the choice for your non-cocktail-nut friend who wants to be wowed and then surprised when they learn that they're drinking Chartreuse and Peychaud's. Of course, if you think that those two ingredients, lemon, and pear brandy sounds vile, you should try it, too.

The Daisy 17 did a remarkable job of blending the Wild Turkey 101 with a fine house grenadine. I would have liked more of the orange bitters to offset the sweetness of the drink, though a non-cocktailian companion thought that was silly.

The Lady Grey was a nice drink, but we all agreed it didn't place the tea in a particularly prominent role, and, as such, wasn't as compelling an elixir as Audrey Saunders's Earl Grey Marteani at Pegu Club, the drink on which it's based.

2 Blue Ridge Manhattan, Maloney Negroni, Hemingway Daiquiri, Irish Pirate

I went off-menu for what turned out to be the best drink of the night: the Blue Ridge Manhattan, which Michael very kindly made for me as I watched and chatted at the bar. When I asked for a drink to feature the house peach bitters, he built this fantastic cocktail while we shared complaints about the limitations of some existing products. He rinsed a glass with Laphroaig and then peach bitters, stirred up some Jim Beam rye, NP dry vermouth, Carpano Antica, and Peychaud's, and finished with a skilfully long lemon twist. (It's possible that I messed up this recipe, I'll admit; in a note-perfect moment of speakeasy theatricality, Michael dropped a wee dram of the peach bitters on his hands, rubbed them together, and held his palms up to my outstretched nose to inhale the magnificent aroma. I nearly swooned, and thus can't be held accountable for details on what immediately followed.)

We talked about this Manhattan for a long time at the table. It was such a deft twist on the drink's base that it had a lightness of being that none of us could quite articulate -- and the fact that the drink is built around rye, bitters, and smoky Laphroaig makes that lightness remarkable. It's a Manhattan like no other.

A companion got the Irish Pirate but didn't like it, so I help finish that fine drink up, which featured the autumn bitters. (The winter bitters were a few days away from being released from their barrel, sadly.) The Negroni and Daiquiri were both excellent. We suspect that the HD has the grapefruit bitters hiding in there, since the pink grapefruit juice surely could not have had the complexity it brought to that drink.

3 Nickle Manhattan, Hotel Nacional, Airmail, Autumn Sidecar

I tried the Nickle Manhattan for a comparison with the BR, and while extremely good it suffered a bit by comparison. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine drink, but the Gilka Kummel addition didn't transform the more standard Rittenhouse/Punt e Mes/Peychaud's base.

Indeed, we wondered if it had been omitted, as there was no significant caraway tone -- and we were pretty sure that the Autumn Sidecar lacked any allspice notes from the Pimento Dram. It's possible that both ingredients were there, barely, but as they are essential to the unique Violet Hour character of the drinks, we all felt that they should be featured prominently enough to add complexity to the other standard ingredients.

The Hotel Nacional was a very good but, again, slightly sweet version of that classic. I confess I can't remember much about the Airmail.

Out of that dozen drinks I'd say that well over half were spectacular, at the level of the best cocktails I've ever had, with the BR Manhattan, Iron Cross, and Poor Liza perfect. The others needed either extremely minor receipt-tweaking or a tad more care behind the bar (Toby was, I'll add here, in NY). Finally, Violet Hours's reputation for bitters brilliance is well-deserved, and any visitor should be sure to get their fingers under a glass of two that feature them.

A final point about the very good small plates. We devoured two plates of deviled eggs and could have eaten two more each, and we polished off a couple of sandwiches. But the heroes were the fine duck meatballs, which brought out some interesting notes in several of the cocktails, particularly the rye-based drinks.

All in all, a fantastic spot, and one that seems to be doing a great job of educating the masses. Walking around, virtually everyone seemed to be drinking one classic cocktail or another, with almost no white wines, beers, or Grey Goose & sodas to be seen. I'm no expert on Chicago bars, but Violet Hour is in another league from the several upon which I've placed my elbows.

[avant-garde]

Chris -

Thank you for this great write up. I always like to hear what is going on at The Violet Hour. This thread has been defunct for quite a while, so this was a nice surprise. Just a couple responses...

re: I didn't catch the pisco used; Toby, can you let us know?

My guess would be: http://www.beveragewarehouse.com/search/mo...hp?item_id=5112

You can watch Toby make it here (if you squint I think you'll agree that is the Pisco he uses):

re: We talked about this Manhattan for a long time at the table. It was such a deft twist on the drink's base that it had a lightness of being that none of us could quite articulate -- and the fact that the drink is built around rye, bitters, and smoky Laphroaig makes that lightness remarkable. It's a Manhattan like no other.

I agree. I have been geeking out over this drink ever since I heard about it. Although I have not had the pleasure of drinking this at The Violet Hour, I have made a Manhattan with (almost) the same ingredients:

2 ½ oz. Wild Turkey Rye

1 ½ oz. Carpano Antica

3 Drops Laphroaig

2 Drops Fee Brothers Peach Bitters

2 Drops Angostura Bitters

[Alchemist]

Chris, thank you for your kind words, and your constructive criticism. It is invaluable for an owner to get such feed back, especially in the first six months of an establishment opening. William Grimes brought this up a couple of weeks ago at the panel discussion with Keller and White at the 92nd street Y. Professional reviews happen when the business needs it most, but is least likely to be ready for such scrutiny. So hearing things from an enthusiastic imbiber is wonderful.

I would like to say a few things in response, without them seeming like excuses.

Creating a cocktail menu of thirty some cocktails, which undergoes changes four times a year, and tries to have something for everyone is quite a challenge. I try to design one third of the cocktails for people that have sophisticated palettes, half of the cocktails are “gateway” cocktails, and the rest are “roast chicken” cocktails. So, Chris, I think that you got a couple of the “roast chickens” which were not to your liking. Someone else who has been drinking only Cosmos for the last decade will find something attuned to their tastes and then, hopefully, be spurred on to try something more adventurous. Sorry for the “”s.

Since you were sitting at the bar it is completely fair to have your cocktail "Doctored." Not enough Gilka, or Pimento dram in your drink? Ask the bartender for a wee bit more.

You mentioned that the bar was subdued. I am not sure what your connotations are. We try to have it bustling but not packed. We use only about 2/3 of out legal capacity. We have figured that one and a half bartenders can handle aprox.30-35 customers, so that more than anything the amount of staff decides how full the bar can be. No one (especially the bartenders and servers) has any fun when the wait for a cocktail is more than 7 min.

It is great to hear that you enjoyed the staff so much. They continue to work with enthusiasm and professionalism, even when I’m here in NYC. So much of the cocktail experience is about the knowledge of the staff.

You spoke of the lightness of the Blue Ridge Manhattan. I think that comes from (what we call, for lack of a better term) it being Reverse Perfect. Instead of the vermouths being in equal measure, there is twice as much of the expected vermouth as the unexpected. Double Reverse would flip that on it’s ear, and is especially good in Martinis using gins with strong flavor profiles.

I am glad you got to try so many of my bitters. I am adding two more to my arsenal come winter. The Winter Bitters and A pomagranete bitters, along with a “Grandma’s Tinksure”.

I am blanking on the brand name of the Pisco we now use. We were using Capel, good eye avant-gaurd, but switched recently. It is two words and is something like Mae Roa. Or maybe that is just a hankering for a Mai Tai Roa Ae.

Thanks again for going to The Violet Hour. I hope you can make the trip again, and when you do I will be behind the bar.

Cheers, Toby

[san]

i went for the 2nd time last night and was just as impressed (if not more) than the first. the southside was outstanding and the chi-town flip was probably the best cold weather drink i have ever had. i made a promise to myself that i would try as many different drinks as possible and it took every fiber of my being not to order a 2nd CTF. after a disappointing service experience last weekend at a top Chicago restaurant, my wife and i were totally inspired and overjoyed to see that the service at TVH is as great as the drinks- which is really saying a lot. we chatted with michael for about an hour and a half and he was totally informative and friendly. i love that a place can have so much style and not be at all snobby or 'holier than thou'- establishments that can achieve both of those great qualities are few and very far between. i can't say enough great things about this bar.

[Chris Amirault]

Creating a cocktail menu of thirty some cocktails, which undergoes changes four times a year, and tries to have something for everyone is quite a challenge.  I try to design one third of the cocktails for people that have sophisticated palettes, half of the cocktails are “gateway” cocktails, and the rest are “roast chicken” cocktails.  So, Chris, I think that you got a couple of the “roast chickens” which were not to your liking.

I think that's exactly right. The drinks were all extremely well executed, but their flavors were sometimes not quite to my persnickety liking. I'm a fan of bitters, for example, and so didn't enjoy the sweeter drinks as much.

Since you were sitting at the bar it is completely fair to have your cocktail "Doctored."  Not enough Gilka, or Pimento dram in your drink?  Ask the bartender for a wee bit more. 

Wasn't at the bar, but that's a very accommodating practice, and next time I'll take advantage. Note, however, that we four were sharing, and the other three would not have the same petty gripes as I'm, surely!

You mentioned that the bar was subdued.  I am not sure what your connotations are. 

They were entirely positive. I was at the end of a long conference day at the execrable McCormick Center, and subdued fit the bill perfectly.

Thanks again for going to The Violet Hour.  I hope you can make the trip again, and when you do I will be behind the bar.

Until then, I'll let the memories dance in my mouth. And, again, thanks to you and your crack crew.

[avant-garde]

I have to geek out for a minute and admit that ever since I heard Toby had a drink on The Violet Hour's menu called the Blue Ridge Manhattan I've been scratching my head at how I could make this drink in my own home (miles away). Or at least how I would envision it to be in my head. If there are two things I really love, it’s Islay Scotch and Rye Whiskey.

I tried making a version of the Blue Ridge Manhattan numerous times before, but ultimately decided that I just really didn’t like the Fee Brothers Peach Bitters I was adding. However, tonight I decided to say screw it and take a completely new approach. Rather than using Laphroaig, I hit my newly opened bottle of Lagavulin 16 and matched it with two of my favorite other ingredients: Carpano Antica and Peychaud’s bitters. To make a long story short, I am very happy that I took this route and ended up with what I can only call the…

Islay Manhattan

Ingredients:

2 oz. Wild Turkey Rye

1 oz. Carpano Antica

1/2 oz. Lagavulin 16

8 drops Peychaud’s Bitters

Method:

1. Add all ingredients to Boston glass.

2. Add ice and stir for 30 seconds.

3. Allow to sit 15 seconds (to dilute).

4. Stir another 30 seconds.

5. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Amazing how the empty glass afterwards almost smells like a rack of freshly smoked ribs.

Thank you for the inspiration on this one Toby…

[BryanZ]

Stopped by TVH for a quick drink this weekend. It's unfortunate that my visits here have to come under such tight time constraints. Nevertheless, a nice experience. The snow allowed me to walk in on a Saturday night at about 10 with no wait. By the time we left there was a line in the vestibule but no one outside.

My evening included a lot of other imbibing at other (less pleasing) locations so I don't recall the names of my drinks. One had tequilla and an egg yolk. I know the crushed ice is a conscious move, but I thought there was too much dilution. Overall, a nice and creamy winter drink. My friend had a drink made with Gruet (it seems like Gruet is all I drink in restaurants these days); I believe it was called the Airmail. Lighter with a more fruit/citrus centered profile, but I quite enjoyed it.

I'm always shocked as to how big this place is. The separate rooms make it feel more intimate, but they do have a good amount of space.

[Alchemist]

On Monday The Violet Hour hosted the Christmas party for Alinia. Michael Rubel and I planned a twelve course cocktail tasting evolution. There were about 85 people at the event. It started at 8:00 and went late. Here is what we served.

Negroni

Northshore Distillery Gin #11, Vermouth Bianco, Gary Regan’s Orange bitters #6, Campari Foam, and Burnt Sage.

Sanagree

Mulled Syrah, Cognac, Apricot Brandy, Angostura Bitters, and Grandma’s Spices.

Brandy Crusta

Leopold Gourmel Primieres Saveures Cognac, Maraschino Liqueur, Lemon Juice & Peel, with House-made Orange Bitters.

Shot and a Beer

Mathusalem Classico Rum accompanied by A Miller High Life Fat Shorty.

Miraflores

Tabernero Pisco Italia, Grapefruit, Orange Blossom Honey Syrup, Miramar Bitters, Egg White and Peychaud’s Bitters.

Winter Sazerac

Old Overholt Rye, Herbsainte, Peychaud’s Bitters, and Coffee Syrup.

Philadelphia Fish House Punch

Coruba Rum, Barbencourt Year Rum, Landy Cognac, Lime and Peach Brandy.

La Brujita

Pompero Anniversario, Ginger Syrup, Lime And a river of fire.

El Helado del Hemingway

House-made Grapefruit Gelato with Guatemalan Rum and Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur – Accompanied by the smoke of a 1999 San Luis Rey Regio.

Dulca 'Maria

El Dorado Year, House-made Falernum, House-made Orange Bitters, Angostura Bitters and Lime Oil.

Sweetness and Light

Bombay Dry infused with Rare Tea Cellars’ Fields of France Rooibus Tea, Egg White, Lemon, Orange Oil, House-made Grapefruit Bitters, And Crème de Violette Liqueur.

Tom and Jerry and Toby

Cocnac, Barbencourt 8 year, Cruzan Blackstrap, Cinnamon, Cloves, All-spice, Whole Eggs, Angostura Bitters, Hot Milk and Grandma’s Secret Spices and Scents.

I would love anyone who was there to chime in on their experiences. I am still trying to add some pictures to this post. There arn't that many because I got busy, but I will add what I have. Must run but will post more tonight.

[Chris Amirault]

Yow. More information, if you please:

Winter Sazerac

Old Overholt Rye, Herbsainte, Peychaud’s Bitters, and Coffee Syrup.

As a Rhode Islander, I must ask: what coffee syrup? (Warm my heart and say Autocrat.)

La Brujita

Pompero Anniversario, Ginger Syrup, Lime And a river of fire.

Detail on that last one, if you please. Is this a Blue Blazer south of the border?

Do post more.

[Alchemist]

The coffee syrup is a 4-1 brown sugar (Domnio dark brown sugar-twice filtered water) which has been infused with espresso. It looks like motor oil, sticks to the back of a barspoon and smells like boiled down cofffe ice cream.

The River Of Fire was a blue blazer on steriods. Each of the 4 bartenders put 23 Marie Antoinettes across the front of thier station. Then filled the nipple up with Wrey & Nephew. With about 1.5 oz in another coupe. On the count of tres, they lit the coupe and drizzled flame down the line. Part of the Mise for this cocktail was a manager holding a fire extenguisher. Once everything was on fire we poured La Brujita on top quickly before the glasses started exploding. Good fun and got a standing O.

[Chris Amirault]

This sentence captures the raison d'etre of eG Forums:

Part of the Mise for this cocktail was a manager holding a fire extenguisher. 

←

So you lit one coupe, and then poured into a non-flaming glass, lighting it, and on and on?

[Alchemist]

That night we burned sage which smells alot like pot. Then someone, in a non smoking bar, smoked a bit of a cigar, (with the Hemingway) to be reminiciant of Cuba. And then with the final course we burned some clove and nutmeg.

Yes that is a good way of putting it.

[eje]

Goddamn that sounds cool.

Every cocktail listed is as inventive as any I've heard of, yet still inspired by the classics.

Congrats for pulling it off!

[Alchemist]

Yes we really pushed the definition of some of those. The Negroni for instance was a combonation of gin and bianco vermouth stirred and put in a coupe. We then reduced Campari to a syrup, added some Antica vermouth and folded that into egg whites. The effect was this lovely smooth, slightly sweet gin in your mouth followed by complex bitter foam. It was a Pousse Cafe whith opposing flavors.

[BryanZ]

How did the presentation/serving for all these drinks proceed? Very small pours or did people just try a few?

[Alchemist]

The idea in the planning stage was to put out a "half drink" every 30 min. Well there is many a slip between the cup and the lip. First for some unfathomable reason, (like none of us had ever been to a Christmas party for a bunch of resturant people), we thought it would be this controlled linear thing. Micheal and I were up all night the night before, making plans, stressing, scratching those plans, then making more, more intricate plans.

The first "course" was dou to go out at 8:15. We had the makings for 90 negroni's set and ready at 8:10. At 8:15 there were 8 people in the bar. We passed out champange, some beer, and a couple of cocktails off the regular menu. Time ticked by with the sound of well made plans going down the drain. More people trickled in and Negroni's were given out in drabs. At 8:40 when course 2 was ready to go out there were 30 people. So we started putting out the Sanagree as well as the Negroni. Quiet jazz flitted about with the flickering candles. The crowd was congragated in the second salon. Little groups forming and splittng, reconfiguring like alge on the surface of a sun dappled pond.

In the back 90 coups were being rimmed with sugar, and having 1/2 a lemon rind wrapped inside. It was an awsome sight to see so many crustas in one place. I forget what time those went out as people were now streaming in.

When The Violet Hour first opened, and the Alinia crew sat at the bar with me late night, we would drink Miller High Life and attitude adjustments of Mathusalem. After dealing with cocktails day and night that is what I craved, simplicity. When I went to Alinia they were nice enough to pair my first course with the Champange Of Beers. On my Alinia menu it says Artichoke, Parmesan, red pepper, basil, paired with Miller High Life. Talk about a one of a kind menu.

So around 10 o'clock, the servers walked through the crowd with 8 packs of 7oz MHL in one hand and a tray of rum in the other. The music jumped to rockus, and the party was on.

From that point on out we put out cocktails every 20 min. The champagne, beer, and libations flowed and everything went swimmingly.

[Alchemist]

Negroni

Sanagree

El Helado del Hemingway

A HUGE Amount of T&J&T batter. 44 eggs went into it. We were sore for days.

T&J&T batter ready to serve. Those are the big water pitchers.

A couple of very happy customers.

Happy holidays

Toby

Edited December 15, 2007 by Alchemist (log)

[avant-garde]

I hate not living in Chicago. Looks like a spectacular event.

[BryanZ]

One usually doesn't think of production on that scale when putting out crafted cocktails, but it sounds like a very interesting and well-planned event. Alas, the whims and unique schedules of your guests are the crux of any large scale caterer or event planner, but I don't see how such a cool bunch of people couldn't have a great time in such a cool space.

[Alchemist]

The new, winter, menu will be starting on Monday Dec 17th.

This has been one of the biggest challenges I have had yet. When fruit is not at it’s best, we look for cocktails that are rich, decadent, warming, and make you feel like you are both home in bed with the electric mattress pad, and on an island beach away from the cruel elements.

20th Century

Plymouth, Lillet, Lemon, Crème de Cacao. There are two good descriptions of this drink. “This drink tastes like Art Deco in a glass” is one. The funny thing about it is if you don’t know what you are drinking there is no way to “get” the cacao.

Rangoon Fizz

Tanqueray, Ginger Syrup, Lime, Mint, Angostura and Tonic. Ginger is such a versatile ingredient, in the summer it’s refreshing, in the winter it is warming. With this cocktail I wanted to make something that could have been enjoyed in Burma way back when. There are bitters to calm the stomach, Tonic to keep malaria at bay, and mint, well because it tastes so good.

Rum Toddy

El Dorado 5, Lemon, Curacao, Honey, Grandma’s Spices. What could be better to thumb one’s nose at Mother Nature’s worst?

Hush and Wonder

Mathusalem, Lime, Simple, R&W Violette. I have been searching for something to do with violet since before The Violet Hour opened. I knew it would have to be special since it would be something of a “house” drink. It needed to have a fast pickup time, and exemplify The Violet Hour’s raison d'etre.

Tattooed Seaman

Sailor Jerry’s Rum, Demerara Syrup, Winter and Angostura bitters. A treacle in spirit, but reminiscent of the smell of a holiday pie.

Winter Sazerac

Old Overholt Rye, Herbsainte, Coffee Syrup, and Peychaud’s. Like having a Sambuca with your espresso.

New York Sour

Rye, Lemon, Simple, Egg White, Syrah. A classic. The red wine gives this silver fizz warmth and complexity.

Yellow Rose Of Texas

Sauza Plata, Lemon, Yellow Chartreuse, Rose Water. Surprisingly light, but very complex. The rose water is only on top.

Winter Sidecar

Cognac, Lemon, Orange Curacao, Allspice Tincture. For me there is nothing more comforting than the smell of allspice.

Northern Lights

Pisco, Lemon, Simple, Winter Bitters. The winter version of an Iron Cross.

41 Jane Does

Applejack, R&W Poire, Lemon, Simple, Grandma’s Tincture. I think this is the first drink that I created at Milk & Honey, but this version has the tincture.

Maple Nut Eggnog

Rye, Frangelico, Bliss Maple Syrup, Whole Egg, Cream. Pretty self explanatory, and self-indulgent.

There were more changes on this menu than any before. I am going to need to edit this some.

Toby

Edited December 16, 2007 by Alchemist (log)

[Alchemist]

I forgot to say that there is Grapefruit bitters on the Hush & Wonder .

[avant-garde]

I forgot to say that there is Grapefruit bitters on the Hush & Wonder .

←

Hey Toby -

Couple questions:

1) What are your thoughts on the Creme de Violette by R&W? I finally got mine delivered to the house a couple weeks ago and have been somewhat underwhelmed by it.

and

2) Is the Hush & Wonder really sweet? It appears to be unless the acid and bitters are in large enough proportions to cut through the sweetness.

[Alchemist]

I like the R&W because of it's subtleness. It's got good natural scent, and isn't as sweet as the other brands.

On the Hush & Wonder there is just a rinse of the R&W so it adds very little sweetness. I didn't want it to taste like violet, just be reminiciant of a warm meadow.