Wormwood
Photo by Simone Garritano on Unsplash
You probably know Vermouth simply as an ingredient in a cocktail such as a Martini or Manhattan. But, did you know it’s actually a wine?
Vermouth is actually a fortified wine that is flavored with various botanicals, herbs, spices, and sometimes fruits.
According to records, vermouth was first produced in the late 18th century for medicinal purposes with aromatics playing the healing role.
Wormwood (shown in the image) is credited for the original naming of Vermouth since the German word for Wormwood is “Wermut.”
The process of making vermouth involves the following steps:
Base Wine Selection: Vermouth begins with a base wine, which is usually a neutral white wine but it can also use rosé from red-wine grapes.
Fortification: The base wine is then fortified with a neutral grape spirit or brandy to increase its alcohol content. This fortification helps preserve the wine and creates a stable base for the addition of botanicals.
Botanical Infusion: The fortified wine is then infused with a blend of botanicals, which can include herbs, roots, barks, flowers, and spices. Common botanicals used in vermouth production include wormwood, gentian, chamomile, orange peel, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. The specific botanical blend used varies depending on the individual producer and their desired flavor profile of the vermouth.
Maceration: The botanicals are typically macerated, or steeped, in the fortified wine for a period of time to extract their flavors. This process can last from a few hours to several weeks, depending on the desired intensity of flavor.
Filtration and Blending: After the maceration period is complete, the infused wine is filtered to remove any solid particles and then blended to achieve the desired flavor profile and consistency. Some vermouths even undergo oak aging to further develop their flavors.
Sweetening: Depending on the style of vermouth being produced, a sweetening agent such as caramelized sugar or grape must may be added to achieve the desired level of sweetness.
Bottling: Once the vermouth has been blended and sweetened, it is bottled.
Like wine, the production of vermouth is a careful balance of art and science, with each producer having their own unique recipe and production techniques.