Ep 527: Vermouth

Wait, I thought you only covered wine in this podcast? I do! And guess what? Vermouth is wine.

Vermouth is an aromatized, fortified wine flavored with botanicals like roots, herbs, barks, flowers, seeds, and spices. Although aromatized beverages have been around for millennia, vermouth's origins lie in the Kingdom of Savoie in the 1700s, first in Torino, Italy and then in Chambéry, France. 

Photo: Botanicals. Credit: Unsplash

First offered in apothecaries for the healing properties of wormwood, the main botanical in Italian vermouth, royal courts and then high society took a shine to vermouth in Torino, and its medicinal image was shed and it the wine was served as an aperitif in cafés. Simultaneously, in France, dry vermouth took off and cafes from Lyon to Paris.

Although served neat or on ice in Europe, vermouth took off in the Americas and found a place in the bars of the US as a major ingredient in cocktails like the Manhattan, the Americano, the Rob Roy, Negroni, and, of course, the Martini. 

After some ups and downs, vermouth is trendy again and more producers from around the world -- from Canada to Australia to South Africa, as well as the traditional regions in Italy, France, and Spain are experiencing a revival.

Even though it's treated like a spirit more than a wine, I think it's time to cover this historic, interesting beverage. I cover the history of vermouth, how and where it's made, the different types of vermouth, and some of the cocktails that made it famous. 

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