Cheers!
It’s all about the botanicals for Susy Atkins as she compares vermouths and finds a worthy non-alcoholic ‘spirit’. Plus: bottles for late spring and an armchair wine tour
PHOTOGRAPHS: THEO MOYE/APEX PR, MATT WALLS, ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
The expert guide to... VERMOUTH
Fortify wine with a little grape spirit, steep natural herbs, seeds, roots and barks in it, then sweeten (or not) according to taste. That’s how vermouth has been made for centuries – first as an ancient medicine, then by the 18th century as an aperitif – before it became a staple in cocktails such as the negroni, manhattan and, of course, the martini. The name comes from the German word for wormwood, a bitter herb still used in some brands.