This red sweet vermouth is sweet and sultry, reminiscent of a perfumed spring night. Its rich crimson hue comes from rouge-colored botanicals like sloe berries, cinnamon and honeybush. It’s citrus-forward, with predominantly orange and tangerine accents. Dried mango gives it an additional perfumed nose, while spice and vanilla-infused caramelized sugar offer toasted, earthy notes.
Ingredients
- ¼ teaspoon wormwood
- ¼ teaspoon licorice root
- ¼ teaspoon gentian root
- ¼ teaspoon wild cherry bark
- ¼ teaspoon dandelion root
- ⅛ teaspoon orris root
- ⅛ teaspoon burdock root
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon bark
- 1½ teaspoons dried hibiscus flowers
- 1 teaspoon dried pink rose
- 1 tablespoon chopped dried mango
- ½ teaspoon dried grapefruit peel
- 1 tablespoon dried chamomile
- 1 tablespoon cracked sloe berries
- 1 tablespoon honeybush tea
- 1 tablespoon dried orange peel
- 1 teaspoon dried tangerine peel
- 1 teaspoon dried lemongrass leaves
- 5–6 fresh jasmine flowers
- 3–4 fresh lavender flowers
- 6–8 fresh rose petals (optional)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh lemongrass bulb
- 1 sprig marshmallow mint (substitute regular spearmint)
- 1 sprig anise hyssop (sub fresh tarragon)
- 1 small handful fresh chamomile flowers, stems and leaves (optional)
- 3 (2-inch) strips orange peel
- 3 (2-inch) strips lemon peel
- 4 (2-inch) strips tangerine peel
- 1½ cups turbinado or raw sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cracked pink peppercorns
- 2 cardamom pods, seeds removed and cracked (pods discarded)
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds, cracked
- 1 star anise, broken into pieces
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 vanilla bean, halved and split and seeds scraped (all parts will be used)
- 1 teaspoon cracked long pepper (substitute white peppercorns)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- 1 bottle (750 ml) acidic, dry white wine with a good amount of minerality and viscosity
- ¾ cup unaged brandy (I used Idlewild Arneis white wine and Oakland Spirits Company Masala/Coriander Brandy.)
Preparation
Pre-measure and set aside 1 cup of the wine.
Place the sugar and the spices listed under the Sweetener section of ingredients in a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, cook the sugar and spices until the sugar just begins to caramelize, about 3-4 minutes. Do not allow it to melt completely. Once caramelized, slowly and carefully pour in the cup of wine, stirring continually as you pour. Some hard clumps might form, but as the mixture warms they will melt.
Once the sugar has melted, add the bitters and dried botanicals and reduce the heat to low. Continue to cook for another 7 minutes, making sure the mixture doesn’t boil. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.
Strain out the solids and place the cooled liquid in a large jar with a sealable lid. Add the remainder of the wine, the fortifier, the fresh ingredients and citrus peels, and place in the refrigerator to steep for 12 hours. Do not leave for more than 12 hours before straining.
Strain, discarding the solids, and taste to determine if you want to add any additional botanicals or fresh ingredients, to enhance certain flavors. At this point I added a tiny bit more long pepper, dried mango, jasmine flowers, dandelion root, hibiscus flowers (for color) and cherry bark and allowed the mixture to infuse for another 6 hours in the refrigerator.
Once the vermouth has achieved your desired flavor, strain the liquid into a storage vessel, seal and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Vermouth Cocktail:
For a Rouge on the Rocks, fill a glass with ice and add 4 ounces of Vermouth Rouge. Garnish with a tangerine or orange peel, and a dried rosebud for an extra special touch.
About this recipe
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS
Rosemary & Rose Marcona Fried Almonds (see recipe on page 15), Beehive Cheese’s Barely Buzzed’s Espresso & Lavender Rubbed Rind Cheese, Point Reyes Farmstead Creamery’s Bay Blue
