This style of vermouth is typically bone dry, with no sugar added in the process, and is made from white wine grapes. Like sweet vermouth, the wine used to make dry vermouth is infused with botanicals—which tend to be more savory or herbal than fruity—and fortified with an unaged spirit. Dry vermouths tend to be more citrusy, herbaceous and floral than sweet vermouths.
The most common use for dry vermouth is in a classic Martini —it pairs well with lighter spirits like gin , vodka and tequila. Dry vermouth can also be used in combination with sweet vermouths or other sweetened liqueurs or amaros like Campari to dry out a cocktail and make it less saccharine. Some noteworthy bottles of dry vermouth are Noilly Prat biscuity, with a crisp minerality , Vermouth Routin vegetal and herbaceous , and Dolin Dry citrusy and light. Not all vermouths are created equal. As with whiskey or gin, the quality of your vermouth makes a big difference.
There was a long period in which the United States drank a dry Noilly Prat that was entirely different from everywhere else in the world. The U. Maybe because Americans had tossed off the herbaceous gin Martini for the sleek and sexy version , made with crystal-clean vodka. When Noilly Prat brought its original recipe back to the U.
The Yanks had grown accustomed to olive-laden Martinis that kept vermouth far in the background. This is America, baby. Vermouth can be incredibly cheap, yet as with any bottom-shelf booze, you get what you pay for. In fact, you might have too many. Large scale commercial aperitif production emerged in the mids with a focus on craft and consistency and an eye toward export markets.
The major ports of Marsielles, Genoa and Venice played key roles for the importation of exotic botanicals spice trade and the export of product to new markets, especially the Americas.
Traditionally, these products were named for the entrepreneurs that created them. Today, several of these names are amongst the greatest brands in this history of spirits. Aperitif wines are relatively low in alcohol content when compared to other spirits, but a bit higher than straight wine. Aperitif wines are comparable strength-wise to non-aperitif fortified wines like Port, Madeira, or Sherry.
Also, like other fortified wines, aperitif wines are typically enjoyed in smaller servings than straight wine perhaps oz. In liquor stores, aperitif wines are typically found on shelves near sherries and ports, although this is not always the case.
Unfortunately, these days, even the best liquor stores are unlikely to have more than a haphazard assortment of aperitifs wines, and are even less likely to have anyone on staff that actually knows anything useful or correct about these products.
We are blessed with a wealth of fine products with individual characters, and that diversity should be celebrated. Commercialization began in the late 18th Century in Torino, Italy. By contrast, Europeans commonly sip this aperitif neat or over a little ice. The dry style, that emerged first in France, achieved similar popularity in the US almost concurrently, eventually becoming strongly associated with the Martini cocktail.
Dry vermouth, especially that in the Marseilles style, also has a strong tradition in the regional kitchen as a cooking ingredient, and it makes a particularly nice alternative to white wine in pan sauces. These same regions have historically produced other styles of vermouth in the past, not all of which have achieved international success. Two examples that have—both from Torino—are vermouth alla vaniglia vermouth with vanilla and vermouth con bitter vermouth with extra bitters.
Vermouth Chinato vermouth with added quinine is making a 21st Century comeback. Bianco vermouth is the bolder Italian riff on white vermouth that roughly dates to the turn of the 20th Century, but remained obscure until achieving abrupt and massive popularity in 21st Century Eastern Europe. A footnote—but one of growing significance in the marketplace—is Spanish vermouth.
From the late 19th Century on, Spanish producers—mostly concentrated around Reus in Catalonia and often from Italian immigrant lineage—have been making their vermut in the relative obscurity, restrained by war and dictatorship. Their vermouths, largely comparable to sweet, red Italian vermouth, tend to have a less Alpine and more Mediterranean character. Today, almost all traditional vermouth producers manufacture some form of red and dry vermouths, and many also produce a white vermouth.
It is generally fair to say that French producers are more esteemed for the lighter, dry vermouths, and Italian producers are more esteemed for the red, spicy Torino-inspired vermouths, but all commercial vermouths are proprietary formulas, and it is their unique botanicals and flavor profiles that distinguish them. Vermouth is made using a wide variety of wine grapes from a long list of wine regions with a range of growing conditions and harvests.
Wine is turned into vermouth by aromatizing wine with botanicals then fortifying it with a small amount of distilled spirit like brandy. The wines are usually aged and comprise at least 75 percent of the mix. Making vermouth is a closely guarded process. There are many producers and each uses its own recipe of herbs and botanicals, including chamomile, coriander, gentian, juniper, saffron, sage, and wormwood. Some vermouth is finished by aging it for a few weeks or months. Dry and sweet vermouth are both excellent aperitifs.
Serve with small tapas-style bites of salty ham, fragrant shrimp, or fried anchovies. Dry vermouths also pair well with funky cheeses while sweet vermouths compliment dry, salty cheeses like pecorino.
Dry vermouth can also be used in place of white wine when cooking. Straight vermouth should be poured in three-ounce servings. Serve chilled in a cocktail glass or tumbler over a cube of ice.
A twist of lemon or orange helps bring out the flavors of vermouth. Vermouth is best known as a key ingredient in a number of classic cocktails :. Vermouth is widely available in grocery stores and liquor stores in the mixers section. Look for high-quality brands in well-stocked shops or have them order you a bottle. The prices can range greatly depending on the producer and quality.
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