Vermouth & Aperitif

Pommeau de Normandie-style apple apéritif produced by Neversink Spirits in Elmsford, New York.

This complex, pommeau-inspired apéritif is delicious sipped neat (serve slightly chilled) or in a cold-weather Spritz. Once opened, refrigerate and ideally serve within 3–6 months; the spirit won’t spoil, it will simply begin to oxidize and lean towards its deeper flavors.

• Made from a blend of one-part Neversink apple brandy that has been aged 1 year in ex-whiskey barrels and two-parts freshly pressed, unfermented heirloom apple cider
• Once blended, the apéritif is aged for 18 months in 60-gallon French oak casks that previously held white wine
• Fresh, red apple on the nose with notes of walnut and butterscotch toffee; bright and pleasant acidity greets the palate with clove, sage, and celery root; the finish offers echoing waves of fresh apple skin and stewed apples with notes of ginger
• Contains no added sugar

 

In restaurants throughout the Basque Country, a weekend meal begins with a ceremonial vermouth service. Decanters of vermouth are presented on a tray with ice, sparkling water, olives, wedges of cut citrus, and two small bitters bottles: one full of Campari and the other filled with London Dry Gin. Each guest dictates their preferred garnish and ingredients, which the waiter then serves tableside. Acha’s classically Basque vermouth syncs beautifully with the broader vermouth tradition in Spain, heavily represented in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Basque Country. The botanicals are macerated in aguardiente – produced in a 130 year-old copper pot still – and blended into a neutral Airén wine base.Tasting Notes: This is not your standard dry vermouth; it has powerful herbaceous qualities that make it almost equal parts a dry vermouth and an alpine herbal liqueur like génépi. Intense notes of marjoram, thyme, wormwood, and rosemary, along with the natural vinous quality of the vermouth, make this a powerful cocktail ingredient. Pairing Notes: Acha Dry is the perfect vermouth for a rich, savory martini (pair with BCN gin and orange bitters for a serious Spanish sipper), but is potent enough to stand up to heavy hitters like Cynar, absinthe, aquavit, cherry tomatoes, honey, orange liqueur, and olive bitters.

100% Semillon grapes from the El Kosh Vineyard in the Western Upper Galilee of Israel.
Vermouth is a spirit that many drinkers have at home, but some aren't quite sure how to use.

The Dalton Vermouth has a bright amber color.

This is a fortified wine, that is very complex and can be used as a standalone beverage served with an ice cube or as a cocktail ingredient.

Kosher for Passover. 

Winemaker Description

Byrrh Grand Quinquina is made to the original late-19th century recipe that earned worldwide fame and inspired fifty years of evocative poster art. Byrrh combines a generous, port-like wine and mistelle base with a firm backbone of natural quinine to produce a fruity, refreshing aperitif.

By itself, with tonic and a twist, or paired with blue cheese. In cocktails, Byrrh mixes well with vodka, gin, tequila, Irish whiskey, and grapefruit. Byrrh is produced in Thuir, in the heart of French Catalan territory, near the coast and border with Spain. 

Expert Review

93 Points Wine Enthusiast | Concentrated dark fruit leads the nose and palate on this garnet-hued aperitif wine infused with quinine. Complex, rich stewed fruit notes suggest cherry pie and Port brushed with vanilla, finishing long with drying hints of plum skin, sage and dried oregano plus a hint of espresso-like bitterness.  Best Buy

 

Winemaker Description

Lo-Fi Apertifs Gentian Amaro offers predominant aromas of sweet citrus fruit with hints of ginger, exotic flowers and spices are supported by a framework of cinchona bark and bitter root extracts. Adds refreshing fruit flavors and crisp bitterness to a variety of cocktails. Pairs especially well with sparkling wine and aged spirits. 

Producer Description 

Very complex fruit aroma, notes of underbrush, honey, cinnamon, thyme and rosemary with a finish marked by dry nuts. The perfect balance between the bitterness of the absinthe and the sweetness of the overripe fruit.

Elegant and fresh in the mouth, a harmonious finish thanks to the balance between the bitterness of the absinthe and the sweetness of the overripe fruit. Produce Description. 

Winemaker Description 

Made using wines made with 50% Garnacha Blanca and 50% Xarello grapes, El Bandarra Vermut Bianco is infused with more that 40 botanicals to create its complex bittersweet character.

Winemaker Description 

Aromatic, layered, and full of spice, this vermouth is bright on the front with hints of rhubarb, cocoa, and vanilla. Its sweet, creamy finish is balanced out by oak and pleasing bitter notes from gentian root and orange oil bitters.

It's made with flavors of citrus fruits, ginger, exotic flowers and spices, & cinchona bark. Pairs with straight bourbon, rye whiskey and other flavorful spirits. 

Producer Description 

A perfectly balanced dry vermouth is the key to a great cocktail. We’ve crafted ours with a combination of cherry, fennel, elderflower, anise and chamomile.

Winemaker Description

A rich, golden color is displayed in this slightly sweet aperitif. The classic vermouth flavors of wormwood and citrus are joined by more exotic tones of chamomile, green tea, and raw vanilla bean. A keen acidity keeps the palate lively, fresh, and inviting. 

Producer Description

With a deep yellow color, Yzaguirre Blanco Reserva Vermouth is highly aromatic, velvety and pleasant on the palate, with woody, herby and spicy notes reminiscent of ripe fruit. Its initial flavor is very tasty and balanced, in perfect harmony with its acidity. Twelve months in oak barrels give it consistency and character.

Great as an everyday aperitif or early evening drink. Excellent in a long drink with a few drops of Campari, 3 or 4 ice cubes, a slice of orange, a twist of orange peel and fresh mint leaves. Perfect for use in the kitchen to add another dimension to your dishes.

Memo Summary Notes

That is a great choice! The Yzaguirre DRY RESERVA Vermouth WHITE is a distinctive and highly-regarded Spanish vermouth, known for its unique aging process which sets it apart from typical dry vermouths.

The oak aging softens the vermouth and adds complexity that you don't find in stainless-steel-aged dry vermouths, making it excellent for sipping or mixing.

Winemaker Description 

This Vermouth uses a mixture of 26 aromatic herbs such as marjoram leaves, gentian roots, orange zest and others, which all together compose our family recipe. We then add a blend of different Pio Cesare white wines, including our Moscato d’Asti. After a 15-day maceration, the Vermouth obtained is aged in oak barrels for at least 4 months. The Recipe is finally completed with the addition of caramel, which gives our Vermouth its light color, and its distinctive aroma and taste. In order to better appreciate our Pio Cesare Vermouth, we recommend drinking it in the old “piemontese style”, sipping it with no ice, but just a little slice of lemon zest.

Expert Review

Robert Parker 90+ Points | The NV Vermouth di Torino is based on Chardonnay but is infused and aromatized with cloves, cinnamon, quinine, citrus peel, ginger, nutmeg, marjoram and other secret ingredients that were written down on a piece of paper in 1952 and kept under lock and key ever since. The folks at Pio Cesare did well to bring this traditional recipe for Vermouth back into circulation. This is an ideal aperitivo drink that can be served on ice with a slice of lemon. It opens to a bright orange-gold color and offers a complicated bouquet that recalls the many aromatic ingredients used in the infusion. The fishing is sweet, but not excessively so.