Most of us only know vermouth as an ingredient in a classic martini, but what exactly is it?
In technical terms, vermouth is what is known as an aromatized wine. It is a liquor, not a liqueur, made from wine and flavored with herbs. An Italian by the name of Antonio Carpano is credited with creating the first vermouth recipe in the mid 1780’s. Carpano is said to have been inspired by a German wine flavored with wormwood, and named his creation wermut, the German word for wormwood. Vermouth was first seen in cocktails in the United States almost a hundred years later, when it began being imported in the 1870’s.
French or Italian?
There are several different types, ranging from the dry vermouth used in the martini, to the very sweet vermouth usually drunk as an aperitif. Originally, dry vermouth was referred to as French vermouth, and sweet as Italian vermouth, based on their country of origin, but those terms are no longer as common.
Vermouth was originally made with old, oxidized, or cheap wine, and it’s possible that the addition of herbs was originally intended as a way to try to hide the unpleasant taste and prevent bad wine from going to waste. It would first be fortified with a distilled spirit, such as brandy, which would not only improve the taste but extend the life of the wine by virtue of the additional alcohol content. After that, the chosen herbs and spices would be added.
Modern makers, of course, are no longer looking for a way to save bad wine, but are looking to create specific flavor profiles. Their recipes are closely guarded secrets, but there are easily 40 or more different herbs and flavorings that may be used: juniper, cloves, quinine, citrus peel, nutmeg, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, sage, chamomile, hops, gentian, and of course the traditional wormwood, just to name a few.
In the early days, vermouth was an essential, even if not quite as important as bitters. (Vermouth, however, had one advantage over bitters – it could be sipped on its own.) Cocktails that included vermouth were crafted to carefully match the flavors of a particular vermouth with the proper liquor to bring out the best of both.
How much vermouth is too much?
Oddly enough, the cocktail that Americans most widely associate with vermouth, the classic martini, seems to have been both the heyday and the downfall of vermouth. The traditional ratio was two parts gin to one part vermouth, but as time passed, the amount of vermouth dwindled, until it appeared that most people believed the only way to make a dry martini was to avoid vermouth. Winston Churchill is said to have left out vermouth entirely, apparently simply bowing in the direction of France while making his martinis. Alfred Hitchcock was known for simply waving the shaker over the bottle of the vermouth.
Today, however, vermouth is making a comeback in the U.S., even if in a small way. Makers such as Vya are beginning to produce well-crafted, boutique versions. As the classic cocktail makes its return, vermouth is beginning to be seen in bars again, and many chefs are replacing the traditional white wine with dry vermouth in cooking. Even the joys of vermouth as a before or after dinner drink are again being touted.
Of course, some places have never forgotten vermouth, something that martini fans should remember when traveling, especially in Europe. Outside of the U.S. or England, saying just “martini” will probably get you a glass of Martini & Rossi’s sweet vermouth, a very popular aperitif.
