Fred Jerbis Vermut 25

Years ago forager and herbalist Fred Cremasco found a recipe book from the late 1800s, which contained dozens of recipes for vermouth, amaros, bitters and other kinds of natural, medicinal concoctions. A Friuli native, he was inspired to set out to recreate these recipes of old. To do so, Cremasco grows all kinds of botanicals, and sources wild ones from a local national preserve, which the government allows him to do on a special basis. These botanicals are as pure as can be. He starts the creation of his "Vermut 25" with a base wine made from verduzzo ripasso which is aged for a year in tank and allowed to maderise slightly. All botanicals are prepared individually, either extracted hot or cold, depending on which process yields the best flavor for the individual plant. He uses 25 different botanicals, according to one of those old Italian recipes, including three different varieties of wormwood, two of orange, gentian root, cinchona bark and angelica. It's citrus- and herb-forward on the nose with more red fruits and spice coming out on the palate. Very pleasant bitterness on the finish from the wormwood and gentian. Great on its own as a slightly more modern take on classic Italian vermouth, or in a complex Manhattan or rich and round Negroni.