Physical Description
Vermouth (pronounced ver-mooth /vərˈmuːθ/) is a fortified wine, flavored with aromatic herbs and spices ("aromatized" in the trade) such as cardamom, cinnamon, marjoram and chamomile.
Colors: white, red
Tasting Notes
Flavors: There are three general styles of vermouth, in order from driest to sweetest: extra dry, bianco/white, and sweet/red.
Mouthfeel: Dry and bitter, Sweet and tangy
Food complements: Cheese, Crackers
Beverage complements: Gin, Manhattan, Martini
Substitutes: Sherry, Masala
Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december
Choosing: Sweet red vermouth is drunk as an apéritif, often straight up, as well as in mixed drinks like the Manhattan. Dry white vermouth, along with gin, is a key ingredient in the mixing of martinis. Red vermouths are sometimes referred to as Italian vermouths and white vermouths as French vermouths, although not all Italian vermouths are red and not all French vermouths are white.
Buying: Sweet Vermouth is available in white (bianco) as well as red (rosso) colors, although more traditionally red in most wine and spirits stores.
Preparation and Use
Sweet red vermouth is drunk as an apéritif, often straight up, as well as in mixed drinks like the Manhattan. Dry white vermouth, along with gin, is a key ingredient in the mixing of martinis. Red vermouths are sometimes referred to as Italian vermouths and white vermouths as French vermouths, although not all Italian vermouths are red and not all French vermouths are white.
Conserving and Storing
Since it is fortified and shelf-stable
Social/Political
The person credited with inventing the vermouth recipe, Antonio Benedetto Carpano from Turin, Italy, chose to name his concoction "vermouth" in 1786 because he was inspired by a German wine flavoured with wormwood, a herb most famously used in distilling absinthe.The modern German word Wermut (Wermuth in the spelling of Carpano's time) means both wormwood and vermouth. The herbs in vermouth were originally used to mask raw flavours of cheaper wines, imparting a slightly medicinal "tonic" flavour
History: 1800 - This Italian-style vermouth is served as an apéritif and used in slightly sweet cocktails like the americano. Dry vermouth, created by Frenchman Joseph Noilly in 1800, is also called French vermouth, although today it's also produced in other countries including ...This Italian-style vermouth is served as an apéritif and used in slightly sweet cocktails like the americano. Dry vermouth, created by Frenchman Joseph Noilly in 1800, is also called French vermouth, although today it's also produced in other countries including Italy and the United States. Dry vermouth is served as an apéritif and used in dry cocktails like martinis. Drinks made with half sweet and half dry vermouth are referred to as "perfect," as in a perfect manhattan.1874 - The original Manhattan, created in 1874 at the Manhattan Club in New York, was made with sweet vermouth and rye, which produces a smooth, mellow, cocktail. Over time, multiple variations of the Manhattan have developed, with tweaks to both the whiskey and the ...The original Manhattan, created in 1874 at the Manhattan Club in New York, was made with sweet vermouth and rye, which produces a smooth, mellow, cocktail. Over time, multiple variations of the Manhattan have developed, with tweaks to both the whiskey and the vermouth, so that today you can have a classic sweet Manhattan, made with only sweet vermouth; a dry Manhattan, made with only dry vermouth; or a perfect Manhattan, made with equal amounts of both.
