It sure must have been one heck of a party. As the story goes, during the presidential race of 1876, New York socialite and wealthy heiress Jenny Jerome held a campaign function for candidate Samuel Tilden at the famed Manhattan Club. Jerome, soon to become Lady Randolph Churchill and mother of Winston, requested a special cocktail be created for the event. What the staff devised consisted of rye whiskey, Angostura bitters and Italian (sweet) vermouth. Like a spark to tinder, the cocktail swept through New York society. The drink that we now know as the Manhattan literally became the toast of the town. It’s said that financial mogul J. P. Morgan drank the cocktail every day at the end of trading on Wall Street.

The secret to the Manhattan’s enduring popularity can be largely attributed to the natural affinity between spirits and fortified wines. These wines—venerable products such as sherry, port, vermouth and madeira—are imbued with tremendous flavors and lavishly textured bodies, making them incomparable ingredients in cocktails. The annals of mixology are replete with classic drink recipes that marry fortified wines and spirits and today’s practitioners are continuing to explore and redefine the boundaries of this magical pairing.

The explanation for the compatibility lies in how fortified wines are crafted. Back in the days of sailing ships, sending wines across the oceans required vintners to add spirits to their wines to enable them to withstand the rigors of long sea voyages. The spirit, typically a grape distillate, raised the wine’s alcohol level to 13% to upwards of 20%. Out of necessity was born an entirely new and delightful genus of potables, namely
fortified wines.

“I think using fortified wines in cocktails is a resurgent “lost art,” says Jacques Bezuidenhout, bar manager at Harry Denton’s Starlight Room in San Francisco. “I like incorporating vermouths, sherries, ports into our cocktails as they add tremendous body, depth of flavor and complexity to the drinks. Many of the popular cocktails made with vermouth or other fortified wines are actually classic recipes that have well withstood the test of time.”

Bezuidenhout cites as examples the enduring appeal of the Negroni–a classic cocktail made with equal parts of sweet vermouth, gin and Campari and the Americano, an iced drink concocted with sweet vermouth and Campari.

 

Vermouth Goes Uptown

Vermouth is the most frequently relied upon fortified wine behind American bars. It is flavored with aromatic herbs and spices according to closely guarded trade recipes. Sweet vermouth—often referred to as Italian Vermouth—is typically made from Apulia and Moscato di Canelli grapes.

After 1-2 years of aging, the wines are blended, filtered and fortified with distilled spirits. Dry (French) vermouth is made from light, thin-skinned Picpoul and Clairette grapes. The wines are aged 2-3 years in oak casks that are exposed to the elements to accelerate maturation. After aging, the wines are infused with botanicals and fortified with spirits.

“There is a huge variance in quality between the various brands of vermouth,” says Matt Rinn, general manager of the Mosaic Restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Suffice to say, the betterthe vermouth, the better the resulting Manhattan or Martini.

There are several brands of California vermouths that are absolutely impeccable.” To bolster his claim, Rinn points to two Mosaic specialties that rank among the restaurant’s best sellers. The Oliver Twist Martini features Junipero Gin from Anchor Distillery and crisp, light Vya Dry Vermouth, which is made by winemaker Andrew Quady of Madera, California. The Mosaic’s Manhattan BH is constructed using Jim Beam’s Basil Hayden Bourbon an equal parts of Vya Dry and Sweet Vermouth.

According to Rinn, “The Vya Vermouths are highly aromatic and marry beautifully with the featured spirits in the cocktails. I’ve tasted these drinks made with lesser vermouths and the finished products just aren’t as crisp and lively. The vermouth you choose is crucial.” Andria Herron is the sommelier at Seattle’s elegant Ibiza Dinner Club. She, too, is a fan of California vermouth, which Ibiza features in a cocktail named the King 10 Martini. The classically structured Martini is made with 1 part Duckhorn Vineyard’s King Elder Vermouth, 2 parts Tanqueray No. 10 gin and capped off with two plump Cabrales bleu cheese stuffed olives. “The vermouth is produced from sauvignon blanc grapes grown in Napa Valley and blended with a special mix of herbs and flowers. It’s a marvelous aperitif and makes a great Martini.”

Duggan McDonnell is the general manager, spirits savant and cocktail authority at Frissön Restaurant in San Francisco. One of the city’s popular cocktail haunts, McDonnell tempts the faithful with such specialties as the Lady Macbeth, a cocktail featuring Glenmorangie 12 year Portwood Single Malt, Vya Sweet Vermouth and several dashes of Fee Brothers Orange Bitters; and the Hummingbird, a classy concoction made with Svedka Clementine Vodka, Quady Essential Orange Muscat—a sweet, tawny-hued aperitif—a splash of Campari, lemon juice, wild sage honey syrup and cranberry juice. The cocktail is shaken and served straight up with an orange fan.

At Scottsdale’s Jade Bar, located in the posh Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa, bar manager Greg Portsche tempts his guests with the Bolero, a savory cocktail constructed with dark rum, sweet vermouth, Bristol Cream Sherry and a splash of apple schnapps. For those looking for a cocktail sporting a wee bit more heft, Portsche recommends the Chancellor, a specialty made with dry vermouth, ruby port, orange bitters and a bracer of Scotch. “The vermouth and ruby port imbue the Scotch with a discernible Drambuie feel. It is sensational cocktail.”

Marco Recio is the resident master mixologist at Courtright’s Restaurant in Willow Springs, Illinois. With decades of experience, Recio often uses fortified wines when creating his bevy of sought after drinks. Examples include the tall, iced Rancho Contento, which is made with equal parts of dry and sweet vermouth, a jigger of tequila and a fill with orange juice and the owner’s favorite, the Port Royale, an effervescent combination of Taylor-Fladgate Late Bottled Vintage Port and icy cold Champagne.

 

Sherry’s Supporting Roles

Sherry is a fortified wine produced in the district of Jerez de la Frontera, the famed wine-growing region in southern Spain between Cadiz and Seville. Sherries are typically made from Palomino grapes. There are principally two styles of Sherry; Fino, which are dry and delicate, and Oloroso, which are fuller-bodied and semi-sweet.