Vermouth is having it’s day in the sun among Pacific Northwest booze-ophiles. No longer considered “just for mixing,” this aperitif wine is great served on the rocks, with a dash of bitters or a twist, and even mixed with other styles of vermouth.
In her new cookbook “A Boat, a Whale & a Walrus” (available September 30), Seattle chef Renee Erickson says she’s partial to Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry, a light and relatively dry vermouth. “To me, it adds the perfect amount of sweetness to a drink,” she adds. Michael Getz, bar manager at Erickson’s restaurant The Whale Wins, located in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, shares his recipe for the perfect vermouth cocktail in the book. Simply combine equal parts white vermouth and dry vermouth, add ice and an orange twist.
Sipping on any style of vermouth—dry, sweet, white, red—will benefit from a simple orange twist. These are two great tastes that taste great together. And for good reason—orange peel is a common ingredient in many vermouths. These fortified wines are aromatized with various herbs and botanicals, including citrus peel. Vermouth starts as wine, that is then infused with herbs and botanicals, and ginned up a bit with a neutral spirit, generally brandy.
Ransom Spirits in Sheridan, Ore., makes a fragrant and complex dry vermouth with more than a dozen herbs and botanicals, all of which are listed right on the front label. Cinnamon bark is listed, and it’s an assertive flavor in this vermouth. Not cinnamon as in cinnamon rolls, but cinnamon bark—more woody, dry, and earthy. There is also orange peel, lemon peel and vanilla bean, which are all easily detectable, plus scullcap, rosehip, wormwood, coriander, fennel, burdock root, fennel, star anise, verbena, arch angel root, and spearmint. The vermouth is fortified with a barrel-aged brandy made at the Ransom distillery.
The Whale Wins’ Getz says he recommends vermouth as an alternative to a cocktail for a pre-dinner libation. “I like that it’s a low alcohol option, but with some depth and complexity to it,” he says. “You’re packing more punch, but getting all the botanical flavors and aromatics in there as well.”
And a last piece of advice when buying, storing and drinking vermouth, Getz suggestions buying smaller bottles if you aren’t going to drink it quickly. “Treat it well, refrigerate it, like you would wine,” he recommends. Whether you have one—or several—bottles of vermouth at home, start enjoying them on their own, mixed together, or just over ice, with maybe a little soda water, some bitters, and a twist. Cheers!
Perfect Vermouth Cocktail, courtesy The Whale Wins
2 ounces white vermouth
2 ounces dry vermouth
orange twist
Combine vermouth in a glass, add ice, garnish with an orange twist.
