World Vermouth Day: Cathy Barrow suggest a recipe for making your own vermouth at home

In a column for the Washington Post, Cathy Barrow suggests that we create our own vermouth. A recipe that requires both patience and creativity. Learn how to make it on World Vermouth Day!

This idea came to her after visiting her friend and chef Kate Hill, who started a cooking school on a small farm in Camont, in southwestern France.

After her last trip to Spain, she brought back some local ingredients to create a vermouth her own way. Cathy Barrow decided when she returned to the United States to try her hand in this discipline.

The recipe for vermouth is quite simple in theory: an infusion of alcohol made from citrus peels, sugar, spices and herbs. On the basis of these ingredients : Sherry, Brandy, orange. After adding a few spices, and letting the mixture rest for a month, the American blogger and food writer obtained a vermouth which embodied  the memory of her holidays in Gascony.

If you want to test his recipe, read on!

Make vermouth at home on World Vermouth Day

– 1 navel orange with navel

– 1 cup sugar

– ⅓ cup of water

– 1 cup brandy

– 3 cloves

– ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds

– 1 star anise

– ¼ teaspoon of green cardamom seeds

– ¼ teaspoon whole pink peppercorns

– 1 small piece of nutmeg

– A few saffron threads

– ½ vanilla bean (split lengthwise)

– 1 cup sherry

– 2 bottles of pinot grigio or vinho verde

The steps to follow:

Using a vegetable peeler, collect strips of orange peel.

Mix the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Leave to cook for 12 to 15 minutes: the syrup obtained will be amber in colour. Add the orange peel strips, cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the syrup becomes caramelized. Then remove from the fire.

Add the brandy to the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring with a heavy spoon, while the caramel melts in the brandy. Do not boil the brandy.

Pour the hot brandy mixture into a jar, then add the cloves, coriander and cardamom seeds, pink peppercorns, star anise, nutmeg, saffron and vanilla pod. Cover and seal the jar. Once the mixture has completely cooled, add the Sherry and close the jar. Let this mixture steep all night long.

The next day, pass the infused mixture of brandy and sherry through a fine mesh sieve. Add the contents of 2 bottles of wine to the mixture and mix well. Pour the vermouth into the 2 empty wine bottles. Replace the caps and place the bottles in a dark closet for 1 month.

Then, you have nothing more to do but to taste!