Ransom - Dry Vermouth (375ml)
Price: $20.65
| Producer | Ransom |
| Country | United States |
| Region | Oregon |
| Varietal | Vermouth |
| Sku | 03207 |
Ransom Description
Ransom Dry Vermouth harkens back to the flourishing cocktail culture of the Belle Époque, when joie de vivre filled the air and Vermouth made the evolutionary leap from charlatan snake oil and disguised refuse to distinguished mainstay of the era’s most popular drinks—the Martinez, the Martini, the Marguerite, and across the pond, the Manhattan. As a revival in the mixing of these classic cocktails encouraged us to bring such endangered spirits as Old Tom Gin back into production, we yearned for an aperitif with the aromatic complexity and grace to complement our spirits. So began the era of Vermouth at Ransom.
The production of Vermouth is the great bridge between our winemaking and distilling trades. Beginning in the winery with small lots of aromatic white grapes, we carefully ferment and blend wines of elegance and character, employing traditional techniques to maximize varietal expression, such as fermenting whites on the skins and employing carefully controlled oxidation of wine in barrel. Taking another cue from classic European vermouth houses, our solera system allows us to maintain the consistency and complexity of this unique base wine blend across vintages. In the distillery, we alambically distill and barrel age brandy from our house-made base wine for fortification. Next, the Vermouth is infused with a proprietary blend of aromatic botanicals, divined through two years of test batches and blending trials. Sweetened ever so slightly and gently filtered before bottling, our Vermouth retains a traditional slight golden color.
While ours is an original recipe with elements of whimsy, this Vermouth is fundamentally a classical formulation, with eponymous base notes of wormwood. It lends depth, complexity, and elegance to cocktails both classic and modern and is a worthy aperitif either neat or on ice. We believe our Vermouth retains the traditional apothecary signatures of its Belle Époque ancestors while contributing meaningfully to the modern Vermouth tradition. Bonne santé!
Base Wine: A blend of Organically and Conventionally farmed aromatic white varietals, including Auxerrois, Albarino, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Muscat.
Spirits: Brandy alambically distilled in house from house-made wines. Barrel aged in French oak.
Botanical Infusion: Wormwood*,Rosehip*, Scullcap*, Chamomile*, Orange Peel*, Verbena*, Spearmint*, Star Anise*, Cinnamon Bark*, Coriander*, Arch Angel Root*, Burdock Root*, Fennel*, Cardamom*, Lemon Peel*, and Vanilla Bean. (* denotes Organic ingredient)
Mixing Suggestions: Martini,Brooklyn,Vermouth and Tonic, Gibson, Chrysanthemum.
Tasting Notes: Opens with richaromatics of neroli orange, verbena blossom, and white tea. On the palate, a bittersweet interplay between flavors of absinthe and baking spices is punctuated by juicy citrus notes. The finish is long and balanced, evoking the sweet herbal scent of a Willamette Valley meadow in late summer.
Wine Enthusiast: 94 Points
Made from organic wine and mostly organic botanicals, this straw-colored dry vermouth layers notes of golden raisins, citrus peel, cardamom and vanilla on a base of fresh apple and pear. Recommended for classic cocktails, or to sip alongside a cheese plate.
– Kara Newman
