Maybe you've just had vermouth as a slight wisp in your martini or a minor note in your Manhattan. But American producers, while certainly nodding towards the European tradition, are coming up with exciting new combinations and flavors to enjoy neat, or adorned with nothing more than an ice cube and a citrus twist. Here are five articles to peruse to get acquainted with all things new American vermouth.
1) Vermouth: New American distillers push the boundaries beyond European tradition: The Washington Post. Bianca Miraglia of New York's Uncouth Vermouth details, "I was trying to make something that previously had not existed."
2) American Beauty: Domestic winemakers are doing vermouth their own way: Imbibe Magazine. "Once you break it [vermouth] down into the components of herbs, wine and brandy, the variations on those are almost infinite,” reveals Neil Kopplin of Oregon's Imbue .
3) American Made Vermouth: Anything Goes: The New York Times. The evocative Miraglia again. Vermouth is "...truly a magical potion that starts out as wine and then it gets resurrected as an erotic aperitif."
4) Vermouth's Bittersweet Revenge: Grub Street. Check out Ransom Vermouth. This Oregon producer actually lists every botanical used in the vermouth's creation right on the front label. No secrets here.
5) New crop of Oregon-made vermouth pushes the envelope: The Oregonian. "Everyone's parents had an old bottle of weird vermouth hiding away in a cabinet," Free House Bar Manager Ansel Vickery explains. "Now, people are realizing that there are vermouths that don't just taste delicious mixed, but also on the rocks."
