How is vermouth made?

Vermouth is a type of wine flavored with herbs, spices and other botanicals. There are several varieties of vermouth, including red (sweet) vermouth and white (dry) vermouth. Below I'll give you a general recipe for making vermouth, but it's important to note that recipes can vary depending on personal preference and the ingredients available.

Here's what you need to make vermouth:

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of white wine (preferably dry wine)
• Aromatic herbs (for example: mugwort, wormwood, gentian, chamomile, sage, angelica)
• Spices (for example: cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper)
• Citrus zest (orange, lemon, grapefruit)
• Sugar (for red vermouth)
• Alcohol (for example: brandy, grappa, vodka)
• Waterfall
• Infusion filters (for example: tea bags, cheesecloth)

Here are the general steps for making vermouth:

1. Make a mix of herbs, spices, and citrus zest. You can experiment with different combinations of ingredients to get the flavor you want. Make sure you use high quality herbs and spices to get a good result.

2. Pour the white wine into a large glass bottle or airtight container. Add the mix of herbs, spices and citrus zest to the wine.

3. Seal the bottle or container and leave to infuse for at least 24 hours. You can let it steep longer if you want a more intense flavor.

4. After the infusion period, prepare a solution of sugar and water. For red vermouth, you can dissolve the sugar in hot water in a 1:1 ratio (one part sugar to one part water). For white vermouth, you can reduce the amount of sugar or even eliminate it altogether.

5. Add the sugar-water solution to the wine infusion and stir well to ensure that the sugar has completely dissolved.

6. Add a little alcohol (such as brandy, grappa or vodka) to increase the shelf life of the vermouth and mix again.

7. Filter the vermouth to remove solid particles. You can use infusion filters or clean cheesecloth to get a clear result.

8. Pour the filtered vermouth into sterilized glass bottles and seal well. Let the vermouth mature in the refrigerator for at least a week before consuming it, so that the flavors mix and harmonize.

9. Vermouth can be served on its own, over ice, or used to make cocktails such as a Martini or Negroni.