Cocktail Lab Begins
Since I am from Lousiana, I am starting with a French liqueur as inspiration for this first blog post. Verveine du Velay is not a typical home bar ingredient but it is beautifully versatile. Verveine du Velay is a historic French herbal liqueur from the town of Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne region of south-central France. It has been produced continuously since the early 19th century and is one of the oldest and most respected herbal liqueurs in France, often compared to Chartreuse but with its own distinct character. The liqueur was created in 1829 by a local herbalist and apothecary named Henri Porte. He was inspired by the ancient medicinal traditions of the region, particularly the use of verveine (verbena, specifically lemon verbena or Aloysia citrodora) — a plant that grows abundantly in the volcanic soils around Le Puy-en-Velay. Porte combined lemon verbena with dozens of other local and exotic herbs, spices, and botanicals (the exact recipe is a closel...