What even is vermouth?!
You most likely learned about vermouth as the ingredient to a dirty martini but with the right vermouth it can be the perfect after dinner sipper. Contrary to popular belief vermouth is not a spirit, but an aromatized and fortified wine. Now what do all those words mean? First the aromatized, a bunch of botanicals, spices, and fruits are macerated into the wine. Then fortified, which is a spirit (typically a brandy) will be added to stop the fermentation process, and boost the proof a little bit.
Now you know what it is, time to find the perfect vermouth…
Les Lunes Sweet Red Vermouth
Les Lunes is out of Richmond, CA and they are ALL ABOUT the grapes. They spend most of their time in the vineyards taking deep care for their grapes to get the healthiest grapes that leads to deep and complex wines.
Now not every vermouth maker lists every botanical used to aromatize the wine but Les Lunes does, and we love them for that! Their sweet red vermouth is 100% Zinfandel and is aromatized with, get ready for it… cinchona, wormwood, bitter curacao, orange peel, bergamot, coriander, chamomile, cinnamon, vanilla, and allspice.
Phew! Now the TLDR: a sweet red sipper with bursts of orange and warm baking spices. We love this with a big ol’ hunk of Tomme de Chambrille (or your favorite ash ripened goat’s milk cheese) smeared all over a baguette.
R A S A7
📸 RAS Wines
Sip on some blueberries! RAS is straight out of Portland, ME; founders Dan Roche, Joe Appel and Emily Smith wanted to make wines that were a pure expression of Maine blueberries. Each bottle is packed with 2.5 lbs of blueberries! The base for their vermouth is the Arkadia, a lambrusco vibe bubbly. They then add their mix of spices and you get a not too sweet, not too bone dry vermouth that is truly perfect any time of the year.
You can use it to make an Orange Blueberry Manhattan with:
2oz bourbon
1oz blueberry vermouth
½ oz black currant liquor
dash of orange bitters
fresh or frozen blueberries
cardamom
- muddle a handful of blueberries and a sprinkle of cardamom
- combine bourbon, vermouth, black currant liquor, and bitters over the blueberries
- shake well, pour over ice, garnish with an orange slice
OR just sip on its own! Either way I’m eating this with a wedge of Schneblehorn and Orange Cardamom Honey Cream.
Header photo: Les Lunes Wines