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Vermouth
Is it a spirit or a wine? Vermouth is a wine! It is also an essential ingredient in Martinis, Negronis and Manhattans. Enjoy it either neat or on the rocks, or have it with soda or tonic water. Add a twist of citrus to bring out the best in vermouth.
It’s a fortified wine like sherry, madeira and port. In a fortified wine, the base wine is topped up with extra alcohol to increase the alcohol level. In the case of vermouth, a neutral grape spirit is added to the base wine to raise the alcohol content to 15% and 21%. Vermouth is different to other fortified wines, because it is also an aromatized wine. Aromatized means it is flavoured with different botanicals : fruits, spices and bitter herbs.
The name vermouth comes from the German word for wormwood (Vermvut). Wormwood is a bitter herb that gives both vermouth and absinthe their signature bitter flavour. In the European Union, there are strict laws that vermouth must contain wormwood. Whereas in the United States, wormwood is an optional ingredient.
Vermouth can be produced anywhere in the world but most vermouth comes from Italy, France and Spain. Vermouth is classified into red and white, or sweet and dry. Sweet vermouth is often called Italian vermouth. The base wine was traditionally red. The most famous is Vermouth di Torino. Dry white vermouth historically was called French vermouth. It was invented by Joseph Noilly in 1813. It is white and more herbaceous than spicy. These are dry with a hint of sweetness to balance the bitterness. This is the style of vermouth used in Martinis. Spanish vermouths lie somewhere between the French and the Italian. Sherry is often used as the base wine.
Vermouth is an aperitvo, which means you should drink it before a meal. Its bittersweet character stimulates the appetite. You can also cook with vermouth. Julia Child was famous for substituting vermouth in her recipes that called for white wine. I had white vermouth with clam pasta and it was fabulous.
Remember to store vermouth in the fridge once it is open. It should last about 4 to 6 weeks in the fridge. I like to write the date I opened it on the back label so that I can keep track how long it has been opened. As far as picking a vermouth, I recommend going into your local shop and see what they have. Try different ones to learn which one you like best.
Here is the link my CBC Radio January 24, 2025 column on Vermouth.
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