IF YOU LOOK up the word malign in any standard English dictionary, you’ll find the following definition: to speak harmful untruths about; speak evil of; slander; defame.  If I was in charge of choosing the descriptive pictures that accompany some words in the dictionary, I’d place a picture of a bottle of vermouth next to the word malign.  Nothing on Earth has been more maligned than vermouth, except maybe Wes Craven’s movie The People Under the Stairs.  With a renewed interest in classic cocktails, I thought that it would be a good idea to take a look at the most disparaged bottle on the bar so that we can understand what it is and why it is an integral part of some of the best known classic cocktails.

Vermouth is a fortified wine to which botanicals are added.  The name vermouth is derived from the German word wermut or the Anglo-Saxon word wermod which both mean wormwood.  Wormwood was known by ancient civilizations in Rome, Greece, and Egypt for its medicinal powers.  Since wormwood is extremely bitter, sugar and spices were combined with it to make it more palatable.  During the late 18th century an Italian named Antonio Carpano began fortifying cheap wine with a distilled spirit, most notably brandy, in an attempt to not only improve its flavor, but to extend the life of the wine.  He would then add wormwood and other spices such as cloves, juniper, nutmeg, citrus peel, coriander, ginger, sage, chamomile, cinnamon and hops.  It is thought that he was inspired by a German wine flavored with wormwood and this is probably why he called his creation vermouth.

There are several different types of vermouth, ranging from the dry vermouth used in martinis, to the very sweet vermouth that is consumed as an aperitif.  As early as the 1830’s, vermouth began to appear in the U. S.  During that time, dry vermouth was referred to as French while sweet vermouth was called Italian.  This distinction was based on their country of origin, but these days those terms are no longer in vogue.  It is known that by 1853, the French company Noilly Prat was shipping its dry white vermouth to places like New Orleans and San Francisco.  This should not be surprising since both cities were heavily populated with citizens of French decent.  By the 1860’s, sweet red vermouth from Italy had made significant inroads in New York.

Before long, people started to take notice of this vino vermouth.  This led to experimentation by the bar-men of the day in New York City and culminated with the creation of the Vermouth Cocktail — a very simple drink consisting of two ounces of sweet vermouth with a piece of lemon peel and a few cubes of ice served in a stemmed tulip-shaped glass.  Like many of the cocktails of that era that included ingredients containing herbs and spices, the Vermouth Cocktail was quite often prescribed as a remedy for hangovers.  It was also preferred by those who did not like to start the day with a hangover because the low alcohol content of the drink made its consumption less painful the next morning.

The creation of the Vermouth Cocktail came at a time when an interesting transition for bartenders and their clientele was beginning to occur.  Bar patrons’ palates began to mature and  their tastes began to move away from cocktails that were made simply by pouring liquor over ice and adding a few dashes of bitters to it.  Sometime around the mid-1860’s, someone began blending sweet vermouth with brandy, rye, whiskey and gin.  These new concoctions were complex and flavorful with less of an impact on one’s ability to leave the bar under one’s own power after consuming a few of them.  The first of these amazing cocktails was the Manhattan which paved the way for the Martinez and the king of all cocktails — the Martini.

So why has something so important to the creation of three of the most important classic cocktails become so reviled?  That’s a good question.  One theory is that not only is vermouth misunderstood, but also mistreated.  Since vermouth is a wine, it should probably be treated as such.  Once opened, it will oxidize in a relatively short time.  That means that its flavor will change in short order.  Consequently, if you’re not there when the bottle is opened, you’re probably not going to get the vermouth when it’s at its best.  To remedy this, once opened, do not throw away the cap.  Air causes oxidation, so putting a pour spout on the bottle will not help your cause.  Next, when not in use, store it in the refrigerator.  It’s probably also a good idea to chill it before you open it for the first time.  Chilling it will slow the oxidation process.  Also, tasting the vermouth when you open it for the first time gives you a sense of its flavor profile giving you a point of reference that allows you to determine when it may be time to replace it.

Another thing to keep in mind is quality.  When vermouth was created, it was as a way to salvage really bad wine.  These days, that is not the case.  Artisan vermouth producers such as Vya are making well-crafted products that are not only great for making cocktails, but good enough that many chefs have begun to replace white wine with dry vermouth for cooking.  These same chefs are even pairing vermouth with meals as either an aperitif or digestif.

So, there you have it — vermouth un-vilified.  As vermouth begins to reemerge on bars and become more appreciated as a legitimate ingredient in cocktails and as a aperitif and digestif, I hope that more of you take the opportunity to experience this red-headed stepchild of the cocktail world.  If you’re feeling daring this weekend, stop by your local liquor outlet and purchase a small bottle of sweet vermouth.  It can be enjoyed just as you’d enjoy a glass of port or sherry and it’s very good.  Maybe you’re preparing a meal that calls for white wine as an ingredient.  Why not substitute that ingredient with dry vermouth?  Martini & Rossi has been around for well over 150 years and has a great reputation, while new comers like Vya are breaking new ground with their high-quality artisan creations.  As always, whether you’re enjoying a cocktail that blends your favorite liquor with vermouth or you’re trying it as an aperitif or digestif, please drink responsibly.