Vermouth Options Abound
Most vermouth fans point to the explosion of brands available today―domestic and imported, and with particular selling points―as a spur to their enthusiasm. For example, Ransom’s Sweet and Dry Vermouths from Oregon are said to be the only American vermouth made with wormwood. They include estate-grown botanicals such as sarsparilla, sassafras, wild cherry bark, cinchona, dandelion root, hibiscus, cardamom and verbena.
Another recent introduction, La Quintinye Royal, is claimed by producers to be the only Pineau des Charentes-based vermouth, a fortified wine made by mixing fresh grape juice and Cognac. The line includes three vermouths―Rouge, Blanc and Extra-Dry.
Martini & Rossi has taken notice, earlier this year releasing Martini Riserva Speciale. The style of Vermouth di Torino with two expressions, Rubino and Ambrato, pays tribute to the original methods used by the first Martini master herbalist more than 150 years ago.
And E. & J. Gallo Winery and Quaker City Mercantile, the Philadelphia-based creator of Hendrick’s Gin and other popular modern spirits, collaborated a new line called Lo-Fi Aperitifs. Introduced in November, the two Lo-Fi vermouths are a blend of California wine and botanicals.
The flood of new products is unlikely to abate any time soon. “Every week, a winemaker will tell me about their new vermouth project,” says Einbund. The experimental techniques in vermouth, the loose definition of what can be called vermouth, and the fact that nearly every major wine region in the world seems to produce a vermouth-like beverage means the selection is only going to grow, he notes.
Like sherry, vermouth overall is in a transition from mass-produced value brands to smaller and higher-priced products. No major domestic brand grew last year, according to the Beverage Information Group data, although smaller brands almost made up for the leaders lost ground.
Among imports, Martini & Rossi and Noilly Pratt grew modestly, while Lillet shot up by 30%, albeit from a small base.
Variety and Flavor
It’s the broad variety of modern and classic styles that attracts Erin Lindle, owner of Washington, D.C.’s Nido, to vermouth. Nido features vermouth highballs during its happy hour or “vermoutherie.” Nido also carries a locally made rosé vermouth, Capitoline, on tap and a wide variety by the bottle, with a cocktail program composed of vermouth-based twists on classic cocktails.
“There is so much variation and depth of flavor in vermouth, and it’s a lot of fun to play with,” says Lindle. “They can be sweet, dry, bitter, herbal, aromatic, spicy, all of the above or anywhere in between. Plus, you can drink it all day.”
The restaurant’s bar program was ultimately inspired by visiting vermouth houses in Madrid, where the house vermouth is served simply with an olive, cherry and orange, Lindle says, “and from drinking them as aperitifs throughout Italy.” The vermouths also fit with Nido’s Spanish- and Italian-focused shared-plates menu.
Taking Flights
“Sampling guests on different vermouths is a great way for people to get a taste for the variety that exists,” says Lindle. “They vary so much in flavor, and there is always one that will appeal to their taste.”
And once someone finds a vermouth they like, “they are better able to understand its purpose in a cocktail.”
Indeed, sampling is a key on-premise strategy to generate guest interest in vermouth. That’s one reason that Oso Market + Bar in Portland, OR, offers vermouths by the flight.
Owner Colin Howard menus a changing range of brands in a vermouth flight as well. “As a concept, we tried to create a European-style cafe feel, and we have many options since we also sell wine in the marketplace,” he says. “In fact, we carry more than we place on the menu, but we try to change what we feature and pour in the flight.”
Trying to create an interest in aperitif wines fit with the Oso concept. And when guests find a particular brand or style they prefer, Howard says, they’re more likely to order it again.
Oso does particularly well with Spanish vermouth Perucchi, burning through it both at the cafe and retail. Another Portland operator, Raven & Rose, does so well with Ransom Dry vermouth that it’s served on tap and as a house spritz―with lemon wheel, seltzer, bitters, on the rocks.