The Wetter the Better: Drink More Vermouth

Posted 03/24/2008 at 06:23 AM by Derek

The First Drop

The bartender swirls drops of vermouth barely coating the behemoth cocktail glass that is capable of carrying two traditional Martinis but instead is going to house pure, unadulterated vodka with only the partial remains of those pitiful, swirling drops. The proud aperitif wine once lauded for its ability to charm women and heal the sick appears more like a quick rinse with Tidy Bowl. The result of this flushing is purportedly a “Dry Martini.” Only this Martini is without gin and without anything but a brief, comedic routine involving vermouth—no one expects to actually savor the spices and botanicals of the three drops of vermouth that once inhabited the glass.

How did vermouth, a German-sounding beverage, invented by Italians, become one of France’s best-known aperitifs only to be swirled and dumped by Americans?

It all started with Antonio Benedetto Carpano of Turin, an Italian inventor of the late 18th century that created vermouth and named it “wermut,” the German word for wormwood. He added wormwood, botanicals (flowers, herbs and spices), citrus peel, sugar and immature brandy to the slightly oxidized wine—a combination that has been the calling card of vermouth, although there is no exact formula. Antonio purportedly invented vermouth to make the local Muscat wine more affable to the ladies.

By the next century, France began their version of vermouth and the name was softened by the French pronunciation to become “vermouth.” Leaving the two most common categories of vermouth French and Italian.

French vermouth is generally dry and white, while Italian vermouth is generally sweet and red. However there are many instances where this classification breaks down. Therefore, I think it’s best to drop the national categories and use the terms “sweet” for red vermouths, “dry” for white vermouths and “bianco” for sweet white vermouths.

The Comeback Kid

Migrating over time, vermouth made its way in-and-out of American cocktails, starting as a 2:1 ratio in classic drinks such as the Manhattan and the Dry Martini in the late 19th century. Then came the “extra dry” craze. A Time article from 1959 titled “Drier and Drier,” introduces readers to “The Naked Martini,” which is straight gin. But literary types had already weighed in on the diminishing ratio.

Ernest Hemingway liked to order a “Montgomery,” which was a Martini mixed at a gin to vermouth ratio of 15:1 (these supposedly being the odds Field Marshall Montgomery wanted to have before going into battle). In the 1955 play Auntie Mame, we see the now famous preparation of swirling a drop of vermouth in the glass and then tossing it out before filling the glass with gin.

Fortunately, vermouth has made a comeback in the very same country notorious for going dry—the United States. Quady Winery in Madera, California has been making Vya vermouths for a decade. Michael Blaylock, the head winemaker, says, “We thought vermouth had been neglected for far too long.”

Vya Extra Dry is a touch sweet, viscous with spicy notes of clove, orange peel and blanched almonds. Vya Sweet is much richer and also spice dominated—think pumpkin pie spices—with a pleasant bitter finish. Either one is a treat on the rocks and a great way to kick off a meal. Or can be mixed in the classic cocktail of your choice for a standout performance.

Outside of the United States, vermouth producers are still making top quality vermouths. France’s Noilly Pratt is the original Dry Martini vermouth and Dolin in Chambéry is touted as the last independent vermouth producer. There are other recognizable brands that despite their ubiquitous nature are relatively solid mixers such as Cinzano. For something special, Carpano Antica Formula and Carpano Punt e Mes are products that hearken back to Antonio’s early experiments and can easily stand on their own without a drop of gin.

Anyway you try it, please save those little drops the lonesome trip of rinsing a glass and pour the whole lot—the wetter the better.

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