The Truth About Vermouth
Vermouth is the unsung hero of the cocktails you’ve been guzzling for years! It’s in your Martinis, your Manhattans, your Negroni. If you drink any of those you’re automatically a fan of this mysterious fortified wine that is like a magician - you are not meant to learn its secrets! Well, not fully at least.
The basic definition of vermouth is a fortified wine with herbs added; the fortification, with brandy or something similar, boosts the alcohol and the herbs add the mystery. Why? Every vermouth has its own recipe of hundreds of different natural ingredients that vary from bark, almonds, coriander, juniper, peach, etc. - the possibilities are endless! Even if you’ve tasted a vermouth you didn’t like, we promise it’s simply because you haven’t found your vermouth BFF yet.
A few hundred years ago you might have been prescribed vermouth for stomach pains, which is a medicinal remedy recorded in documents from thousands of years ago in Ancient China, Greece, and Rome. Vermouth gets its name from the French pronunciation of the German word wermut, a.k.a. wormwood, which was a common ingredient in vermouth from years past. In the 16th and 17th centuries, vermouth was made across Europe but had multiple names. The British, who drank A LOT of it, solidified vermouth’s reputation and consumption for pleasure, and not just for pain.
Just like wine, the ideal drinking temperature of vermouth is slightly cooler than room temperature, or even a little cooler if you prefer, so just pop that puppy in the fridge or on ice for 20 minutes or so. Remember that vermouth is wine, just aromatized wine, so just think of how you like to drink your white and red wine, and that will be similar to drinking white and red vermouth. To get more technical about the storage and longevity of vermouth we turn to Kevin Liu and his super nerdy and amazing Serious Eats article about how to store vermouth after it has been opened. A few key take-aways: vermouth stays drinkable longer than wine does and refrigeration of open vermouth is good for up to one month.
Much like mass produced, commercial wine, there is so much (too much) mediocre vermouth in the world, and some of these are also made with chemicals. To save your palate from lame mediocrity here are a few stellar vermouth from three producers that we adore:
Antica Torino is a fantastic producer located in the vermouth capital of the world: Torino, Piedmont. Some of the herbs that Vittorio Zoppi and Filippo Antonelli use to make the Antica Torino Vermouth di Torino Bianco include thistle, sage, and hyssop. This is a dry vermouth beautiful enough to drink on its own or with a lemon twist. The Antica Torino Vermouth di Torino Rosso is sweeter, the color a reddish sandstone, and has notes of orange peel, ginger, and vanilla. Some of the ingredients used to make this are cumin, oregano, and rhubarb. This is our go-to red vermouth in a Negroni on the rocks with an orange twist.
Our newest Cheese Shop team member, Racheal, and her partner, Ross, introduced us to the fantastic Spanish vermouths from Destilerías Acha. Located in Basque, Acha (pronounced ah-cha) was founded in 1831 and has been run by the Acha family since 1886. The Acha Vino Vermouth Rojo was made in a 130-year-old copper still and is fairly dry with fresh notes of tart cherry jam and figs. The Acha Vino Vermouth Blanco is dry with a light floral finish reminiscent of honeysuckle, elderflower, and daisies. Ross, who is also a bartender, recommends the following recipe for a White Negroni: 5 oz. of the Bitter Bianco, 1 oz. of the Acha Vino Vermouth Blanco, and 1 oz. of a light gin. Stir, never shake. Serve on rocks or up.
And last but not least, a very special West Coast vermouth! In Santa Barbara, California T.W. Hollister is run by Clinton Kyle and Ashley Woods Hollister. This gorgeous ruby hued vermouth has the addition of 19 locally sourced botanicals and is essentially the cozy parts of winter in a bottle with notes of juniper, pine trees, and sage. Enjoy Hollister nice and simple - on the rocks with an orange twist. Or mix it into a Boulevardier, which is 1 oz. bourbon, 1 oz Campari, 1 oz Hollister vermouth, and an orange peel for garnish. Stir gently and strain into a chilled coupe or over the ice in a rocks glass.