Parallel Creation
It’s known that the Chinese created herb infused wine as far back as 1200 B.C. using herbs and roots as well as sugar for a medicinal solution. The Greek also created their own white wine infused with herbs, usually wormwood to treat stomach disorders and intestinal parasites as far back as 400 B.C. In fact, the name “wormwood” is derived from the German “wermut” referring to the perennial common throughout Eurasia; Artemisia absinthium.
Isn’t Wormwood Poisonous?
Artemisia absinthium does contain thujone which in higher doses can induce seizures and muscle spasms. However, wormwood’s notoriety stems from the anise-flavored spirit, absinthe. Since absinthe was the favored libation of bohemian artists and writers who thought it had hallucinogenic effects and it was associated with misadventures such as Vincent Van Gogh’s razor and left ear accident, many countries placed bans on wormwood infused products. However, subsequent research into the actual thujone concentration of absinthe products and the realization that bohemian artists and writers likely had inherent mental health disorders with or without absinthe led to a loosening of absinthe restrictions. In 2007, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau lifted restrictions in the US as long as absinthe didn’t contain more than 10 parts per million of thujone. Interestingly enough, the US doesn’t place upper limits of thujone in sage or tarragon which contain as much thujone as wormwood.
Common Vermouth
The vermouth products you’ll likely find in your local market are of the red and white variety – red containing more sugar with a pronounced sweetness while the white variety having just a touch of sweetness. Common brands are Martini & Rossi, Carpano, Dolin & Noilly Prat. Sometimes you may also find a white vermouth that specifically states that it’s a dry vermouth which has no sugar added in the final blend. Because all vermouth are bottled in the 16% to 20% alcohol by volume range, they do keep a little longer than traditional wine if refrigerated but I would still finish an opened bottle within 3 months.
And though the name indicates wormwood was infused into the final product, newer versions may not use wormwood at all preferring their own proprietary blend of botanicals.
Nihon Vermouth
While technically not vermouth even with the phonetically equivalent name of “bermutto,” since the Oka Kura Bermutto is made with rice instead of grapes, this Japanese version of vermouth starts with a Junmai sake base fortified with rice-based shochu and just 4 botanicals – yuzu, kabosu, sansho pepper and yomogi or Japanese mugwort. But it does contain the Japanese species of wormwood. I first sampled this version of Japanese vermouth when it was mixed into the “Nihon Negroni” at Nami Kaze Hawaii, a 2023 James Beard award semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant operated by Chef Jason Peel. Distiller, Tsutsumi Shuzo of Tsutsumi Distillery in Kumamoto, Japan creates both a sweet red and drier white “bermutto” as well as a rice-based yuzu vodka. I’m still trying to find the local distributor who represents the Tsutsumi Distillery products.
How to Imbibe Vermouth
Since most vermouth were created as medicinal beverages, you can simply enjoy them “on the rocks.” However, most vermouth served at restaurants and bars are used as part of their cocktail programs. The most popular use of vermouth is in the martini where a dry, white vermouth is added to gin (or vodka) starting with a 3:1 gin: vermouth ratio (which I prefer) up to a 5:1 to 10:1 ratio for an extra dry martini. Some martini afficionados state that all you have to do is wave the bottle of vermouth around a martini glass filled with chilled gin for the driest of martinis.
The next most popular cocktail uses the sweet, red vermouth mixed with rye whisky (or bourbon) in a 2 to 3:1 ratio of rye: sweet vermouth with several dashes of Angostura bitters in a classic Manhattan. And then there’s my favorite cocktail; the Negroni which classically uses just the sweet, red vermouth though my personal version uses 2/3 dry, white vermouth and 1/3 sweet, red vermouth as this highlights the bittersweet qualities of Campari.
Can You Cook with Vermouth?
Since the base of vermouth is either a white or red wine, of course! Especially when white vermouth is used in chicken or pork dishes or red vermouth in beef dishes. Because vermouth is simply wine infused with roots, seeds, bark or other herbs, just think of vermouth as wine fortified with spices.
Since a classic martini uses dry vermouth, I just used dry vermouth in this recipe but feel free to use a blend of white and red vermouth – if you use just sweet red vermouth, you can omit the sugar though the sauce does need some type of sweetener as cooked vermouth magnifies some of the bitter qualities of vermouth and a sweetener counteracts some of the bitterness.
Martini Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
About 20 pimento stuffed, green olives, sliced lengthwise
4 slices of white, melting cheese (mozzarella, Havarti, Swiss, etc.)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup dry white vermouth
2 bay leaves
20 whole peppercorns
20 juniper berries, smashed
1 clove of garlic, halved lengthwise
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp sugar
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tbsp cornstarch
Carefully slice a pocket into each chicken breast without cutting through the breast. Place 1 slice of cheese then add about 8 to 10 slices of the olives within the pocket then cover with the upper flap of the breast – you can use toothpicks to keep the pocket closed during cooking. Cook each breast on medium heat – about 7 to 10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the breast.
While the chicken is cooking, add the chicken broth through the salt and pepper to a saucepan and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Add some of the reduced sauce to the cornstarch to create a slurry and while the sauce is still gently bubbling, add the cornstarch mixture stirring constantly until the sauce thickens – about 2 to 3 minutes.
Plate the chicken breast and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sauce over the chicken. Enjoy with either a real martini or a glass of vermouth on the rocks!
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