Vermouth

Definition - What does Vermouth mean?

Vermouth, a fortified and aromatic wine, is widely served as an aperitif. Its first production was in the18th century in Turin, Italy, and traditionally, vermouth was used for medicinal purposes, but in modern times, it has become a key ingredient in classic cocktails.

Alternatively, vermouth it is also used for cooking and storing food. The two popular types of vermouth include: red sweet vermouth and white dry vermouth.

WineFrog explains Vermouth

Vermouth starts as a base of neutral grape wine or unfermented wine must, and it is produced by mixing a spirit with dry, aromatic ingredients, like herbs, roots, flowers and barks to the base. After this process, cane sugar or caramelized sugar is used to sweeten vermouth.

As a stand-alone spirit, vermouth is served as an aperitif. However, its sweetness, herbal aroma and its low alcohol content makes vermouth a common ingredient in many popular cocktails like Martinis and Manhattans.