Announcing MxMo XLIII: Vermouth

The intrepid cocktailians participating in Mixology Monday have tackled some interesting things: spice, guilty pleasures, 19th-century cocktails, strong drinks. They've even asserted that vodka is your friend...something that can be a stretch for many cocktail aficionados.

Well, it enjoys a somewhat better reputation among the cocktailian cognoscenti than it does among the greater public, but vermouth is similarly (and unfairly) maligned by many. There's the infamous "Churchill Martini", the invention of one Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill, KG, OM, CH, et cetera, who really should have known better. It consists of a glass of very cold gin, an olive or three, and a bow in the direction of France (or a glance toward the bottle of vermouth, or some other foofaw involving not actually putting it in one's drink.) There are the protestations from friends and fellow barflies that they don't like vermouth, and I can say I really don't blame them...if your sole experience is of vermouth from dusty, warm half-empty bottles that have moldered away on a back bar since the Carter Administration, you aren't going to like vermouth very much. One can even buy ridiculous products to atomize it in your drink. But that's not necessary, and if you go down that road, you're missing out on a great ingredient.

As cocktail chronicler (and MxMo organizer) Paul Clarke points out in the San Francisco Chronicle,

When the trumpets sound and Judgment Day comes, we mortals will have plenty for which to account. While it falls many points below unforgivable crimes such as destruction of the rain forest, global warming and the green-lighting of "The Love Guru," the decline in vermouth's fortunes from 19th century dandy to outcast of the speed rail certainly ranks on the list of modern offenses. . .

"Bartenders are taught to treat (vermouth) like toxic waste," says cocktail historian David Wondrich.

Wondrich notes that vermouth revolutionized mixology when it entered heavy usage in the late 1880s, and vermouth-heavy drinks of the era - such as prototypes of the martini and the Manhattan, which were made with twice as much vermouth as gin or whiskey - earned the cocktail a new level of sophistication. "By the 1890s it's like every drink has vermouth in it," Wondrich says. "They were completely crazy about this stuff."

As well they should be; quality vermouth stored correctly is a complex, aromatic, flavorful ingredient that adds a lot to a base spirit. (Go read the rest of Paul's article right now if you haven't already; it's a fantastic primer on vermouth -- how to use it, its history, some tasting notes, and even some recipes.)

So: your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to present a delectable vermouth cocktail for us all to drool over. Sweet/Italian or dry/French vermouth are fair game of course, as are quinquina, aperitif wines like Pineau des Charentes, or for that matter any fortified, aromatized wine such as Lillet (red or white), or Dubonnet (ditto.) Have fun, and leave the link in the comments to this post by midnight PDT (no, not this PDT) (3am EDT) Tuesday, October 27th. In other words, you have a little over a week to get it done, and as long as you submit it sometime by Monday, you'll get in under the wire. I look forward to the results!

Comments

[Andreas Obermeier]

A simple combination which I concocted years ago and is issued in the German Mixology Magazine (issue 5/2009).

BIANCO VERDE
1 2/3 oz. Martini Bianco
2/3 oz. fresh lemon juice
2/3 oz. simple syrup
12-15 fresh leaves of basil

Sir all ingredients with crushed ice in serving glass.
Garn. lemon-twist

[Ken Moorhead]

Excellent MxMo! I was just thinking about vermouth as a cocktail unto itself on Saturday. Looking forward to the recipes submitted!

[Chris W. (the Tiki guy)]

A MxMo theme I can really get behind! My submission can be found here.

[Pantagruel]

Nice theme. I've got two drinks, the Green Lantern with Dolin Blanc:
http://www.wordsmithingpantagruel.com/2009/10/green-lantern-cocktail.html

and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with Carpano Antica:
http://www.wordsmithingpantagruel.com/2009/10/league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen.html

Thanks for hosting!

[Tiare]

Hi, nice theme, here is my entry:

http://www.amountainofcrushedice.com/?p=7783

Thanks for hosting!

[Marshall]

Here is my submission!

http://scofflawsden.com/blog/2009/10/25/mxmo-xliii-vermouth/

Cheers!

[Jessamyn]

My post on the Cornwall Negroni: http://www.foodonthebrain.net/2009/10/26/mixology-monday-vermouth/

[Matt Robold (RumDood)]

As requested, here is RumDood.com's submission. TALLY-HO!

http://rumdood.com/2009/10/26/mixology-monday-vermouth/

[Jon]

Something tells me you won't be struggling for entries this month. I'm really looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with.

My little contribution can be found here.

Thanks for hosting!

J / the Old Town Alchemy Co.

[Christian]

Hi everybody,

Enjoy my post and the Nylkoorb Cocktail. http://cocktailwelt.blogspot.com/2009/10/mixology-monday-vermouth.html

try to translate whit google! Greatings from Germany
Chris

[Herr Grau]

Here is my contribution:
http://lookalivecontest.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/mixed-feelings-mixology-monday-xliii/

[Amelia Sauter aka Felicia]

Felicia's Speakeasy is a rebel as always - blame it on Leah's root canal this time - but the Ithaca Negroni is a real treat:

http://feliciaspeakeasy.blogspot.com/2009/10/mixology-monday-anti-vermouth.html

Thanks for hosting!
Amelia Sauter, aka Felicia

[Jay Hepburn]

Here's my entry:

http://ohgo.sh/archive/scarlet-ibis-rum-coin-toss-cocktail/

Cheers for hosting Sam!

[Frederic]

Here's my entry about the Nineteen:

http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2009/10/nineteen.html

Thanks for hosting!

[drinksnob]

Here's mine: http://drinksnob.wordpress.com/?p=340&preview=true

[drinksnob]

Crap! I meant to give the non-preview link: http://drinksnob.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/mxmo-xliii-vermouth/

[Craigasaurus]

The Franco-Italiano

1 oz. each Gin (Plymouth); St. Rapheal quinquina; Cynar. Stir over ice, lemon twist.
A bittersweet Negroni variant substituting an aromatized wine from France in place of the usual sweet Vermouth.

[Bertessa]

Bertessa's vermouth, sake, and dill vodka cocktail for this MxMo: http://is.gd/4DpOr

Thanks for hosting!

[Stevi Deter]

My submission for MxMo Vermouth is the Visconti:

http://www.twoatthemost.com/mxmo-xliii-vermouth-the-visconti/

[Alpha Cook (nat)]

with hours still to spare...

http://www.alpha-cook.com/2009/10/mixology-monday-vermouth.html

[twitter.com/dotw]

Booo!

We got Satan's Whiskers for Halloween. Couldn't decide on sweet or dry vermouth.

http://www.drinkoftheweek.com/blog/satans-whiskers/

[forrest]

Awesome hosting-- i was thinking about the Star Cocktail too-- but with Calvados...

Here is my submission!
http://adrinkwithforrest.blogspot.com/2009/10/mxmo-vermouth-blue-boy-cocktail.html

[Paul]

Squeaking in under the wire: the Chrysanthemum.

Thanks for hosting!

[Garret]

Here's my posting on the Martiki!
http://garretjawesome.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/mxmo-xliii-vermouth

[Jacob]

I'm a little bit late, hopefully not too much!
http://www.jacobgrier.com/blog/archives/2892.html

[Cocktail Buzz]

Sorry we missed this one. We didn't find out about it until last night. Good luck with the roundup! -Paul @ Steve