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Feature
Is it time for vermouth to shine?
An essential ingredient in many of the world’s favourite cocktails, vermouth’s star has been in the ascendancy for some time. But could the expression become even more popular?
*This feature was originally published in the April 2024 issue of The Spirits Business magazine.
For a category that has been around for hundreds of years, there has been relatively little change in vermouth. The biggest news recently was that Vermouth di Torino received trademark certification in the US in October 2023, following a three-year campaign.
The trademark means products sold in the US under the ‘Vermouth di Torino’ label must conform to criteria also applied in Europe: at least 50% of the base wine must be from Piemontese grapes; and it must be aromatised with botanicals, chiefly wormwood, which is where the word ‘vermouth’ comes from.
The tightening of a category’s legislation is not always welcomed by all, but Alex Ouziel, the founder of Kaliro Spirits, which produces the 9 Di Dante range of vermouths, is happy with the news. “The protection has been very positive for Vermouth di Torino – but I think also for vermouth in general,” he explains.
“It creates a level playing field and a clear understanding of what the category is. At the same time, it gives us enough leeway to innovate.”
9 Di Dante is a Vermouth di Torino Superiore – meaning the brand goes beyond the 50% minimum, and uses 100% Piemontese grapes. In its Inferno red vermouth, the brand uses Dolcetto, a red wine grape, which allows it to bypass adding caramel for colour. The use of red wine grapes is unusual in vermouth, with even sweet, red vermouths mostly made with white grapes.
Rudy Stol, global brand director for Villa Massa, which produces Vermouth Giardino, is equally pleased with the trademark news. “It is very important to have protection and control of the quality of Vermouth di Torino,” he explains. Vermouth Giardino selects its botanicals from the Italian Alps, and aims to create a more fruit-forward flavour than more traditional expressions.
The rules are certainly not stifling innovation. But considering the EU’s protections came in in 1991, does the trademark recognition indicate a growing interest in vermouths in the US? “Since our launch in 2021, we have seen a significant growth in sales in the US, but also in European markets,” says Stol. “It’s too early to say if the trademark in the US is having an impact on sales.”
9 Di Dante is available in the US and several European markets. “The US is the biggest market for anybody that’s in it,” says Ouziel. “If you have a strong partner in the US who can take you into some important markets and states, it will quickly become your number-one market.”
Perhaps one indication of the growing interest in vermouth in the US is the existence of the vermouth collection at the Rosevale Cocktail Room in New York. Led by Francesco Lafranconi, the collection comprises more than 200 vermouths from all over the world. As well as serving vermouth by the glass, the bar offers flights based on different themes; the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España feature four different styles of vermouth from each country of origin.
“Our goal at the Rosevale Cocktail Room is to create a sense of legitimacy for vermouth,” Lafranconi explains. “I’m not talking about the audience that is already acquainted with it – the mixologists or sommeliers of the world. It’s more for the average person who has a dusty bottle of vermouth in their cocktail cart at home, or someone from a dive bar who has a bottle sitting open for months and puts a few drops in a Manhattan or a Martini.”
As well as a rising interest in drinking vermouth, the US is experimenting with creating its own, with Lafranconi pointing to Dionese’s Vermouth, which is made in upstate New York. “I’m still trying to investigate why wormwood is not generally being reintroduced,” he says about US-made vermouths. Artemisia absinthium, the scientific name for common wormwood, which is used in both vermouth and absinthe, was prohibited in the US until 2007. “Maybe the recipe works just fine as it is, but I haven’t seen much fervour for wormwood-driven vermouth recipes, not even from the west coast of the US – where the wine-making is very well developed and very high quality.”
For Ouziel, while the trademark news may have recently highlighted the category in the US, he sees no reason to focus on this market in particular. “There is an increased interest in vermouth everywhere – since around 2000, perhaps, because of the cocktail renaissance. With around a third of classic cocktails having vermouth as an ingredient, I think it encouraged bartenders to seek out new brands and craft producers.”
Ouziel notes that US consumers are more used to making cocktails at home, and adds that in many premium liquor stores in the country, the vermouth section is large – “to many extents, much bigger than we have here in Europe”.
But the European vermouth market is hardly struggling. According to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity, Italy exported US$250 million of vermouth in 2022, taking 34.5% of the world’s share. France was second at US$126m, representing 17.4% of total value.
While Italy and France may remain supreme, Spanish vermouths are taking the world, and its own domestic market, by storm, with the country representing 12.5% of total value. According to Spain’s National Institute of Statistics, Spanish-made vermouth sales rose in value from €135m (US$147m) in 2019 to €149m in 2020.
Outside of the traditional vermouth-making markets, Lafranconi points to Peru as a potential site for growth, naming Vermouth Avelino as a strong example. “It uses local farms and botanicals, such as cardamom and camomile,” he says.
Unusual botanicals
Meanwhile, Monte-Carlo Vermouth is created in Monaco. Maxime Bureau, the company’s brand and sales ambassador, says while it uses Piemontese wines in both of its expressions, its botanicals, in particular rose essence from Monaco, are what set it apart from other vermouths. “Our vermouth recipes are based on the original method born in Torino in 1786, but they were created by our partner distiller, Comte de Grasse, in the French capital of perfumery.”
And even the UK is getting in on the act, with brands such as The Aperitivo Co, Still Wild, and Asterley Bros using local botanicals to innovate in the category.
Richard Tring, co-founder of The Aperitivo Co, believes British vermouths offer something unique: “They’re setting themselves apart from traditional Italian and French varieties by blending classic styles with a bit of British innovation. Some producers are using local botanicals and wines that showcase the unique terroir of the UK, while others are using a fresh take on traditional production methods.”
The brand’s range of vermouths is made using Spanish white wine, but it soaks its botanicals in an organic British wheat spirit.
As for the future of vermouth, Lafranconi anticipates great things: “The vermouth market is getting very competitive, not just because there are so many to choose from, but also because they’re starting to identify themselves based on the quality of the grapes, the wine, the winemaking – the manufacturing process is extremely important.”
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