Some great summer cocktails involve vermouth, which is made from a neutral base wine and lots of botanicals. A common misperception is that red vermouth is made with a base of red wine, but actually the color just comes from different botanicals. Lustau, a prominent sherry house in Jerez, Spain, even makes a “rosé” vermouth.
It’s a blend of three wines: a dry and crisp Fino sherry, a floral and sweet Moscatel and a lively and fruity Tintilla de Rota. The distinct flavor and pale pink color comes from the main botanicals they use:
- Chamomile adds aromatics and bitterness
- Nutmeg adds spice (I can taste a lot of this in the rosé)
- Vanilla gives lots of aroma and texture.
- Cardamom is intense, sweet and slightly spicy (I get a lot of this too)
- Wormwood adds a lot of bitterness
Pour it into a cocktail glass with seltzer and ice and you’ve got a great slightly-sweet cocktail that’s perfect with some salted pistachios at happy hour. They also recommend a spritz version, the Vermut Spritz:
- 1 ¼ oz Lustau Vermut
- 2 oz cava sparkling wine
- Dash of soda
- Grapefruit wheels or slices
Combine over ice, garnish, and serve.
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