Tag Archives: vermouth

Summer Cocktail Sessions: Vermouth

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Jacques Bezuidenhout’s collection of Vermouth. Photo Credit Antoinette Bruno for Star Chef’s piece on Vermouth.

Got Vermouth? Wildhawk, located in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District, knows what it takes to produce seriously tasty cocktails using this sweet aperitif.

So what exactly is Vermouth, you ask? Vermouth is fortified wine flavored with various botanicals to add color and flavor. A few key ingredients you may taste include chamomile, coriander, juniper, gentian, saffron and wormwood. Traditionally white wine is used as the

base to produce a dry liquor native to France. The Italians are known for sweet vermouth, made with red wine.
More of a potion than a drink, vermouth was originally used as a medicinal tonic because of the spices and botanicals. Today, it is an awesome tool for any barman and with the right compliments can become your quintessential summer sidekick. While it has a longer shelf life than wine, it will start to oxidize after a month, so it is best to store your favorite bottle in the fridge.

How do I enjoy Vermouth?
Vermouth is diverse, delicious served neat or chilled, or as the ultimate summer cocktail base. Find one you like, add a splash of soda and enjoy with a twist of citrus.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can tackle the vermouth cocktail. Wildhawk favorite, Hip Hops, incorporates grapefruit, pineapple and hops for a refreshing summer libation. Check out the recipe below and make it yourself at home!
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Hip Hops
2 ¼ oz Martini Ambrato
½ oz Grapefruit
½ oz Pineapple Gum
¼ oz Hops Tincture
Shake / D/Strain / Tall Sours
Garnish: Grapefruit Spiral

Can’t get enough vermouth? Visit Wildhawk in San Francisco and try their full menu of vermouth-based cocktails.

 

Vermouth Resources
At Wildhawk, vermouth is taken very seriously and veteran Bartender Jacques Bezuidenhout knows what he’s talking about when it comes to this underrated spirit:
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“There are so many wonderful vermouths that are still undiscovered by many people, or are limited to consuming in Manhattans or Negronis. While classics are always loveable, sipping vermouth as a standalone drink is widely underrated. This is why we’ve implemented our vermouth program at Wildhawk – to give guests the opportunity to explore and learn more about the different styles of rosso, bianco and ambre. Vermouths are complex and chock full of aromas – chamomile, coriander, juniper, gentian, saffron and wormwood, to name a few. It’s great to play around with the different styles when developing cocktails! We feature an array of vermouths to be enjoyed neat or on the rocks and a curated selection of cocktails that are vermouth-forward. It’s also an aromatized and fortified wine, which means it’s low in alcohol content so guests can easily throw a couple back!” – Jacques Bezuidenhout, partner, Wildhawk & Forgery in San Francisco

For more tips on how to drink and mix vermouth, check out his handy User’s Guide on Star Chefs!

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Holiday Cocktail Creations & Recipes

The holidays are officially here. There is a chill in the air and holiday music on air. What better way to celebrate, and get through, the holidays than to try some new cocktails. Whether entertaining guests or cozying up to the fire with a loved one, we found some creative and festive drink options for you to imbibe in this season. Tell us in the comments what your favorite cocktails are to celebrate this time of year, and we may just choose yours to feature in one of our cocktail lists at one of PlumpJack’s restaurants and bars.

All of the spirits and liquors featured in this post are available for purchase at both PlumpJack Wine & Spirits stores. Delivery is free on orders of $100 or more in San Francisco or stop in to peruse our selections. Happy Drinking!

English Harvest 
Contributed by Food & Wine


 

 

 

 

 

In a pitcher, combine the apples with the orange, apple juice, lemon juice and brandy. Just before serving, add the hard cider. Serve over ice.

Ingredients
Ice
1 ounce London dry Gin
3/4 ounce bounded apple brandy
3/4 ounce dry vermouth
3/4 ounce unfiltered apple juice
1/4 ounce oregeat (almond flavored syrup)
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
1 spiral-cut orange twist for garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all of the remaining ingredients expect the garnish and shake well. Strain into a small chilled coupe or snifter and garnish with the orange twist.

Cranberry Gimlet
Contributed by Genna’s Lounge

 

 

 

 

 

 

Combine the vodka, lime juice, cranberry juice and agave nectar in a shaker over ice. After you shake, pour into a chilled martini glass. Add garnish with fresh cranberries or a lemon twist. This twist on a Cosmopolitan, delivers a perfect balance of sweet and tart.

Ingredients:
Serving size 1
2 oz. citrus vodka
¾ oz. fresh lime juice
¾ oz. unsweetened cranberry juice
½ oz/ agave nectar
Lemon twist or fresh cranberries, for garnish (optional)

Apple Barrel
Contributed by Saveur.com

 

 

 

 

 

Cognac, apple brandy, and an apple-mint vermouth are combined for a decidedly autumnal cocktail.

Ingredients:
1 oz. vermouth, preferably Uncouth Vermouth Apple Mint
¾ oz. apple brandy
¾ oz. cognac
¼ oz. Becherovka liqueur
2 dashes apple bitters

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into an old-fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Twist a 1″ strip orange peel over cocktail; drop peel into glass.

Fig Thyme
Contributed by Honestly Yum

First make the thyme simple syrup. Add sugar and water to a small saucepan and stir on medium, heat until the sugar dissolves. Then add the thyme and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the thyme and pour into a heat-safe glass jar. Let cool before using in your cocktail. Label your jar with the date and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

 

 

Ingredients
1 ½ oz. Pisco
¼ oz. Cointreau
½ oz. thyme simple syrup
½ oz. lime juice
1 fig (quartered)
Thyme Simple Syrup
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
5 sprigs of thyme

Coquito
Contributed by Liquor.com

 

 

 

 

 

This rich and creamy rum-spiked Coquito is a classic Puerto Rican holiday cocktail recipe. Combine all the ingredients except the rum in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, let cool and stir in the rum. Transfer to bottles (making sure that at least one cinnamon stick goes into each bottle), seal and store in the refrigerator. Serve over ice in rocks glasses and garnish with cinnamon sticks.

Ingredients
2 (15-oz) cans Unsweetened coconut cream
2 (15-oz) cans Cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez)
1 Vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
3 tsp Ground nutmeg
8 Cinnamon sticks
1 (750-mL) bottle Añejo or spiced rum
Garnish with a Cinnamon stick

Try these at home or come into one of PlumpJack’s Restaurants and Bars for our own take on the holiday classic cocktails.

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