I don't know what it is lately, but with the introduction of Jeff Morganthalers' Sangaree cocktail at Clyde, and the rise of the availability of good vermouth, my palate is heading in the direction of lighter, more wine driven drinks. With the amount of European Vermouth's' that have arrived in the Oregon Market in the last two years, a whole world of vermouth has opened up for me. We've seen really deep Vermouth's' like Punt e Mes which are rich herbal and bitter, to light Blanc Vermouth's, that have little to no color, but glow with sweet herbs, and mineral. It seems none of these can come close to the sweet vermouth Carpano Antica Formula, which is full of rich caramel flavors, baking spices and a subtle herbs. Lately, I've just drinking alot of vermouth on the rocks. I needed to understand how I had gone this long as a bartender, and not jumped headlong into one of the worlds oldest drinks.
Traditionaly vermouth had been cut into two categories. French Vermouth aka Dry Vermouth. And Italian Vermouth aka Sweet Vermouth. You see the division lines less these days with French Vermouth's such as Dolin releasing lines of a Dry, Blanc, and Rouge. and Italian Vermouth's like Cinzano releasing a Rosso, Blanc, and Extra Dry. The flavors of these products very slightly, and until you have spent some time discovering these products for your self, I feel like there is a huge part of the bartending experience you are missing out on. One of my most recent concoctions was created with a real heavy hand of Vermouth. I reach for Dolin Blanc these days like bartenders reached for vodka in the late 90's. I was inspired by my love for mixing with cognac, and my new found adoration for Vermouth.
The French Connection
2oz Dolin Blanc
3/4 oz Cognac
1/2 Cointreau
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Stir and serve with a lemon peel.
The lemon is a nice juxtaposition and is a tip of the hat to one of my all time favorite cocktails, the side car. Which blends, cognac, cointreau and fresh lemon juice.
