Vermouth
Vermouth (/vərˈmuːθ/, UK also /ˈvɜːməθ/)[1][2] is an aromatized fortified wine, flavoured with various botanicals (roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs, and spices) and sometimes colored.
[3] In the late 19th century, it became popular with bartenders as a key ingredient for cocktails,[4][5] such as the martini, the Manhattan, the Rob Roy, and the Negroni.
[citation needed] Further, a Canadian company was a double winner in 2023, the first producer outside Europe to be judged "best" for both the dry and semi-sweet categories.
[9][10] Consumption of wines fortified with herbs or roots is believed to have begun in China at least as early as the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties (1250–1000 BC).
A popular ingredient was wormwood, based on the belief that it was effective at treating stomach disorders and intestinal parasites.
[citation needed][13] It was commonly used in Hungary at least since the 15th century with different species of artemisia plants like mugwort or wormwood and other spices like mustard seeds, horseradish, elfdock, etc.
[14] The name "vermouth" is the French pronunciation of the German word Wermut for wormwood that has been used as an ingredient in the drink over its history.
At about this time, an Italian merchant named D'Alessio began producing a similar product in Piedmont as a "wormwood wine".
Competing brands developed shortly thereafter in eastern and southeastern France, containing their own proprietary mix of ingredients, including herbs, roots, bark, and spices.
Product placement and celebrity endorsements from personalities such as Ernest Hemingway and Humphrey Bogart helped to increase the martini's profile.
[24] The popularity of vermouth in the United States and Great Britain declined after the mid-20th century but was still used in those countries in many classic cocktails such as the Manhattan, albeit in smaller amounts.
It is also very popular in Argentina, where—due to major Italian immigration during the late 19th and early 20th centuries—it is more than a drink: it is a cultural tradition among families, at the table and afterwards.
[26] Several wine grapes, including Clairette blanche, Piquepoul, Bianchetta Trevigiana,[27] Catarratto, and Trebbiano, are generally used as the base ingredients for vermouths.
[5][29][30] Spice ingredients often used in vermouths include cloves, cinnamon, quinine, citrus peel, cardamom, marjoram, chamomile, coriander, juniper, hyssop, ginger, and labdanum.
The prohibition of wormwood as a drink ingredient in the early 20th century in some countries sharply reduced its use in vermouth, but small amounts of the herb are still sometimes included in artisan products.
The region of Chambéry in France has received an appellation d'origine contrôlée for its vermouths, which is where the blanc style originated and also includes a strawberry-flavored version called Chambéryzette.
[40] Cocktails using either dry or sweet vermouth or both include the Americano,[41] Bronx,[42] Gibson,[41] Malecon,[43] Manhattan,[42] Negroni,[44] Rob Roy,[45] and Rose.
[47] The herbs in dry vermouth make it an attractive ingredient in sauces for fish dishes or as a marinade for other meats, including pork and chicken.
Their product lineup carries both a traditional dry, two different kinds of sweet (red and blanco), and a strawberry (chamberyzette).
[5][30] Noilly Prat, based in southern France, is primarily known for its dry, pale vermouths, but also produces a sweeter version.
A year after the company began production, Esquimalt Vermouth & Apéritifs won a gold medal at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
