Vermouth, commonly known as wormwood wine, is a fortified aromatized wine that is consumed as an aperitif and as an ingredient in cocktails. The exact origin of vermouth is debated, but Italy made this drink famous.
...Vermouth, commonly known as wormwood wine, is a fortified aromatized wine that is consumed as an aperitif and as an ingredient in cocktails. The exact origin of vermouth is debated, but Italy made this drink famous.
Vermouth has been called a luxury wine because it has more flavor, aroma, and higher alcohol content. The base of vermouth is wine, usually white, and it must make up at least 75% of the vermouth. Sugar, various herbs, and spices are added to the wine, and then the drink is left to mature. The list of herbal components is impressively long – among them are wormwood, calamus root, lavender, cinnamon, licorice, nutmeg, clove, and many others. After standing, spirits are also added to the wine to make it stronger.
Originally, vermouths were only of two types – sweet or dry. Due to demand and competition, today a much wider range of vermouths can be found – extra-dry bianco (dry white), bianco (sweet white), rosso (sweet red), and rosé (pink). Although most vermouths are still produced in Italy or France, award-winning vermouths have also come from Australia and Canada.
Vermouth is an ingredient in many cocktails. The most famous are various martinis – Old Army Martini, Dry Martini, Vodka Martini, etc. It is also known in the Manhattan – vermouth, whiskey and bitter combination or the Miami Beach, which includes vermouth, scotch whisky and grapefruit juice.
