Boston Apothecary

December 26, 2009

“basket pressed” pineapple juice

Filed under: liqueur recipes, non-alcoholic — Tags: , , — sjs @ 6:00 pm

so i bought a ratcheting #25 five gallon basket press.

i was intending to use it to make cider but thought i could also put it to other uses around the bar.

the main bar problem i’ve been wanting to find a solution to is creating large volumes of clear pineapple juices to offer at brunch instead of orange juice.  the fresh, tart juice can be incredibly refreshing.

so i bought eight pineapples for a dollar a piece at hay market.  i peeled the skins  in about a minute and tossed them into the press after a simple dicing.

the press has a ratcheting mechanism so you don’t need to be able to move around it 360 degrees for use .  you can easily put it on a bench top but i do recommend bolting it down.  i was lucking that i could drill bolt holes into my bench top otherwise you could mount it on some plywood then clamp that to the bench top.

pineapples are loaded with juice so eight yielded an entire gallon of really clear juice in just of a few productive minutes with the ratchet.

reloading the press is pretty easy.  ratchet backward, take off the ratchet lever, then unscrew to the top with a 360 degree motion using your hands.  you can then simply release the slats and pull off the press cake.  you could make 5 gallons of juice in about a half hour.  cleaning to be honest is a bitch.  you need to loosen the bolts on every slat to get all the fibrous junk in between but with the right socket it really just take five minutes.

pressing is a really good option for pineapples because any griding whips huge amounts of air into the juice and they get really frothy.  also no affordable centrifuging juicers can put out the same volumes as the press.

now that brunch is over and you didn’t quite sell all the juice you can give the rest the “ice wine” treatment to make a decadent (but not obnoxiously decadent) syrup. freeze concentrate only 50% of your juice to increase its extract and marry it back to the rest then use your refractometer to hit 40 brix.

the resulting syrup is a killer foil for lime juice

1.5 oz. gin

.5 oz. kirshwasser

1 oz. lime juice

1 oz. “ice wine” pineapple syrup

2 dashes angostura bitters

my next project is to press apples and concentrate the juice into a syrup i can fortifying with laird’s apple brandy to make “feux pommeau”

December 2, 2009

the “maraschino” blackberry illusion

Filed under: distillation — Tags: , , , — sjs @ 2:10 pm

the maraschino cherry is an interesting art object.  to many its just a preserved cherry.  but it also can be a trick of expectation and anticipation.  you expect this simple looking preserved cherry to taste like a cherry and it does… but also with the intense almond-y note of the pit.  this was done by an alcoholic solvent bringing the character of the pit to equilibrium with the rest of the cherry.  but you can’t just use any alcoholic solvent.  because we are dealing with equilibriums and certain expectations that must be met, the solvent has to have the same aroma as the juice of the cherry… therefore it must be a cherry eau-de-vie.  that is usually the first mistake people make in making “brandied” cherries.  if you use something with different aroma than the fruit, equilibrium will strip the flavor out of the fruit with often horrific consequences.

well maybe we could do this with another fruit than cherry.  but none really have a pit or inhomogeneous element that a solvent could homogenize.  so what we would have to do is aromatize a fruit brandy with a spice and push it into a fruit instead of pulling it somewhat out. hence we have the “maraschino” blackberry. blackberries soaked in blackberry eau-de-vie that was distilled with mace and grains of paradise (then mixed with vitamin C powder as an anti-oxidant).

well i more or less executed the “maraschino” blackberry idea but came to a stumbling block.  i made a nice blackberry eau-de-vie that i distilled with an “inuitive” amount of spice (i didn’t measure).  the resultant elixir was definitely palatable on its own and not over intense in spice by itself.  things got messy after i added the black berries and let thing sit for a couple weeks.  you can drink the liquid on its own, but the spice aroma in the black berry upon eating seem wretchedly over extracted.  you have to spit it out.  there is obviously some trick of perception that amplifies certain sensations, but how the hell does is it work?

i think i will just dilute the spice extract with more plain eau-de-vie and see what happens.  the “maraschino” blackberry may still be salvaged, but i need a better understanding of this flavor illusion.  i’m reminded of two experiences.  years ago i made a simple clove infused whiskey with seagram’s vo and probably ten cloves per liter.  the infusion tasted really flat and un-clove-like until you added some triple-sec.  wow did the flavor wake up.  sugar is a known flavor enhancer and likely its full potential was unleashed on the cloves.  the same could be happening to the spices from the sugar in the blackberries.  but there isn’t much sugar in the blackberries (maybe just a few %) and much of that sugar was brought to equilibrium with the rest of the liquid.

another experience was drawn from making a simple pineapple rum infusion.  when it comes to equilibrium and you eat a peice of pineapple you get a sensation that you’ve just taken in over proof rum.  even to someone quite desensitized, the sensation is a jolt.  it doesn’t seem probable that the pineapple has more alcohol than the liquid.  so what gives?  is it a result of the texture?  maybe.  blackberries and raspberries taste great whole but when you juice them and rob their texture they taste flat and muted.  to get any life back into them you need to abstract and ameliorate them with more sugar and more acid.

maybe we are experiencing an abstraction through texture.  all those tiny blackberry cells keep popping in your mouth hitting you with barrage after barrage of sensation.  it echoes and amplifies…  i know ferran adria experimented with “limes with texture” where he overshadowed the character of cucumber with lime to borrow their texture.  i wonder if anything was amplified and maybe he was inspired by other fruit abstractions that we more commonly encounter.

potential amusement abounds…

October 29, 2009

cocktails for 400… well more than 200 of 400…

Filed under: cocktails — Tags: , — sjs @ 2:30 pm

last weekend i catered drinks for 350-400 ritzy brooklinites in a large furniture store…

we brought beer, red & white wine, as well as a cocktail… ten gallons of cocktail to be exact.  the biggest cocktail i’ve ever put together.

the cocktail was measured out plus diluted with water into two five gallon cornelius kegs.  i kept putting the drinks up a dozen at a time over ice.  the cocktail was even carbonated ever so slightly to mimic the texture of shaking.

my serving method was awesomely efficient and no one seemed to care about the lack of artistic constraint usually seen in cocktail service.  (i had actually thought the drink was only going to be served on trays from a back room. that didn’t happen)

anyhow the really interesting part came when we got more than 50% of everyone drinking the same cocktail… how the hell did that happen? this was definitely not a room full of foodies or hipsters.  the drinks were flying off the table.  there is no way i would have ever been able to keep up if the drink was not kegged.  (i used a simple “cobra” spout if anyone was wondering)

so i guess i need to explain what the drink was… a riff on a periodista (the passion fruit liqueur makes a similar aesthetic contribution that an apricot liqueur would) .

(per keg)

2 gallons clear rum (i got stuck using three different puerto rican brands plus some seagram’s brazilian rum)

1 gallon fresh lime juice

4 750ml of azorean passion fruit liqueur (750ml is nearly a fifth of a gallon hence they are sometimes called “fifths”)

1 750ml of portuguese triple-sec

3 oz. angostura bitters

1 gallon of water

so why was this drink able to capture the average of so many peoples’ tastes?

well first of all whether foodies or not i think the room had in common that it was from a wine consuming background.  jug wine maybe, but what they share in common is a love of an acidic structure to their beverage.  the flavor contrasts in cheap wine might be boring but what most people seem to identify with is the “structure”.  people that come from a snapple culture (and america has a lot of snapple-sweet tea culture) are more likely to be adverse to acid.  one thing that really seems to hit that average of wine oriented peoples taste is a 350-400 gram/l liqueur contrasted against an equal volume of lemon or lime acid.  i think the passion fruit liqueur is in the upper bound but it is blended down slightly by the triple-sec (250g/l probably).  the triple-sec also has a tonal effect on the passion fruit liqueur lightening it to a beautiful androgynous shade.  lime as opposed to lemon brings more extract (lessening the “sweet-tart” phenomenon changing the hollowness of the sour perception) and lime adds angular contrast which creates more depth in the drink (useful because the rum has none).  the bitters add huge amounts of extract (which people seem to love) and more angular contrasts to all the round fruitiness of the liqueurs.

so i built this thing out of “spare parts” on the theory of how they added up and it worked.  some of the only negative comments i got from the entire room was “i don’t drink rum”.  but its very hard to defeat superstitions like that.

i will definitely be using the same keg setup again… hopefully i can provide a guideline for the perfect carbonation pressure to strive for. (keep in mind too much carbonation can make the drink taste far too tart and spoil all your careful averages. i’m forgetting to spill some details about how i made the gas push the liquid with out carbonating in more than i wanted)

oh, i forgot to mention that i used 9 of 10 gallons which is like 350 portions. and cost about 30 cents an ounce… (undiluted i think)

October 5, 2009

Developing the vermouth formula

Filed under: vermouth — Tags: , — sjs @ 2:13 pm

Developing the vermouth formula

By Otto F. Jacoby of the Berkeley Yeast Laboratory

April 1948

The first requirement in establishing a vermouth formula obviously must be to know what type of product is ultimately desired. It is not impossible to produce a domestic vermouth which comes very close to the foreign product. But to duplicate the foreign vermouth exactly is highly improbably because the herbs and other flavoring bases are not the same here as in other countries; nor do the imported herbs and flowers, some of which should be fresh when used, retain their desired characteristics after shipment and often too long storage. Our domestic herbs, bearing botanically the same basic name as foreign varieties, are useful, but of very different character just as certain types of grapes grown in Europe differ in character when transplanted in our soil and climate.

 It is unfortunate that in America the problem of a quality product is so greatly over-simplified through the decision that the desired product is to be as close an imitation as possible of some foreign product. It would be much more to the point to have the objective of producing a strictly American or California Type Vermouth, and preferably one that reaches its zenith of taste when mixed with a well-prepared California Brandy. We usually have our cocktails prepared with Gin and French (Dry) Vermouth or with Bourbon and Italian (Sweet) Vermouth, but a cocktail with American or California type Vermouth mixed with our native Brandy has not yet been prepared because the true California Vermouth does not exist.

It is a fallacy to think that good herbs can come only from Europe or other foreign countries. Our own mountains, deserts, and seashores provide a wealth of native flavoring ingredients with their own specific characteristics. The point to bear in mind is that the use of these herbs should bring out a fine distinctive flavor which would be recognized proudly as our native vermouth.

As far as laboratory exercises are concerned, the first step is to build up the herb library. Just as another library consists of an assortment of books, the herb library consists of a complete assortment of herbs, flowers, roots, fruits, barks, etc. One step farther along the line, it consists of an assortment of extracts of herbs, each ready for use in experimental compounding. The extracts are far superior to the herbs themselves for experimental mixtures and preliminary formulations. They are more easily handled, measured and standardized; they also permit minor adjustments in an experimental mixture.

Our present herb library at the Berkeley Yeast Laboratory consists of 225 bottles, each the extract of a different herb or flavoring material. We are adding to it regularly, as it is still far from complete.

Preparing the extracts is simple, but still requires some care. In an extraction with water, certain characteristic of the herb are extracted, in some more the desirables, in others more the undesirables. The same is true of extractions in alcoholic solutions of different strength. I have found that extraction with a fortified white or sweet wine of 20 per cent alcoholic content affords a good balance in this respect. It gives the most efficient extraction from the point of view of securing a desirable balance of extractives, and of securing the greatest concentration of desirable constituents. These extracts are held in the library in contact with the herbs. They are suitable for all practical purposes for approximately 18 months with no great danger of decomposition.

The selection of herbs is an art in itself. Various published formularies will list generally about 50 or so of the widely known herbs and seasonings. The actual selection of flavorings should go further than that, however. Every non-poisonous plant with a pronounced taste or odor could be potentially an ingredient for any beverage. The concentration required may amount to only a few drops in a gallon, but these few drops may be just the amount needed to balance the formula and bring it to completeness in satisfying the palate, and in accenting or diminishing the effect of the other constituents.

Balancing the Formula

After the herb library has been developed, and a reasonable approximation to the formula has been reached, the important step of balancing the formula must be considered. This is a slow but interesting task. To achieve the final balance of taste requires a very sensitive palate, and also requires more than one palate. The practical value of a vermouth or other compounded wines depends entirely upon consumer acceptance, and tastes vary widely among different individuals.

The compounder has the initial responsibility of reaching the general overall taste that is required for the vermouth or compounded product under consideration. After that he must check the reactions of his own palate with those of as many other collaborators as possible. The reaction of each taster should be noted.

Different herbs and different essences excite different taste buds within the mouth. If one cares to taste any vermouth slowly, deliberately and critically, he will be able to note the actual geographic location of the taste buds within his own mouth which are stimulated.

The final vermouth must have a round taste on the palate, and at the same time retain the essential basic characteristics of the product that is desired. Bringing the formula to masterly perfection may take months or years of continued checking and experimentation in this way.

Speaking more grossly, the formula must also be balanced as regards acidity, tannin, sugar and other, constituents which can actually be measured chemically. As compared with the balancing of taste, this is a very simple matter.

Analyzing the Herbs

The essential constituents of the herbs are their peculiar components which contribute to the taste and odor. These are present only in minute amounts, and as yet are not subject to chemical analysis. Inasmuch as the concentration of these constituents may vary from one lot of herbs to another, a quality comparison would be the proper procedure.

There are more detailed ways of doing this, but for the practical purposes of a cellarman the simple method of comparison of dilutions between the standard herb tincture of the library and the freshly prepared one from the newly received herb of the same species is sufficient to warn him in case of contrast in strength and to give him a chance to adjust the correct measurement in his formula before manufacturing.

In case of weaker appearances in new herbs, some cellarmen prefer to apply the original quantities as given in the formula and complete the correction in flavor when the vermouth has fully extracted the applied ingredients. In any case, the preparatory quality check would be something like this:

We have one established standard herb essence, No. 1, in our library and have just prepared another test essence of the new herb with the same ingredients as No. 1, called No. 2. In order to compare No. 1 with No. 2, four 500 cc graduates are used. Graduate A receives from 1 to 5 cc of the standard herb essence, No. 1, the amount depending entirely on the strength of the concentration and the potency of the type of flavoring material. Graduate B receives the same amount as graduate A, but the essence is taken from the test essence No. 2. Graduate C and D will receive essence No. 2, but one slightly less (20 per cent) and the other slightly more (20 per cent) than graduate B.

Now all four graduates are filled with distilled water up to the end-mark, are thoroughly agitated, and are ready for the organoleptic test.

We soon find out whether graduate B, C or D will come nearest to graduate A in taste and odor. We could taste the samples best in snifters and should number each graduate in order to avoid confusion. By finding out where there is the closest similarity of B, C and D to A, we can determine whether to add more or less of this tested herb to balance the formula.

Manufacturing Methods

After the formula has finally been established through this prolonged series of tasting, the final test is made in the commercial production of the new vermouth. The wine base for the vermouth is preferably a relatively neutral white wine such as Riesling or Sauterne type which is fortified to 20 per cent alcohol content.

Whether or not any sugar is to be added to the wine depends entirely on the type of vermouth that is to be produced. If as in Italian vermouth the product is to be dark in color, it often pays to sweeten it with a grape concentrate that has been heated in an open pan and concentrated still further, to a soft ball (235-240 F).

The syrup mostly caramelizes during this process and contributes the dark color; at the same time the taste that it imparts is considerably smoother and blends in better than when caramel color is added. If coloring should be removed, as sometimes is necessary in French Vermouth, carbon should never be used in the finished product, as it also removes some of the flavoring constituents, ruining the carefully established blend.

In adding tannin to vermouth, it is recommendable to use grapeseed tannin, because it keeps the product “within the cycle of its own nature.” If a few grapeseeds (not stems) were crushed with the grapes before fermentation and incorporated in the wine through its entire life, it would probably produce an even finer blend in the final vermouth, as well as helping in the fining of the product. Including a small amount of phosphoric acid with the citric that is added seems also to give a “shock” which causes the acids to blend in more smoothly with the bitter components of the vermouth.

In the extraction process the flavoring materials are placed inside cotton bags which are suspended in the wine. This keeps particles of the herbs from being retained by the wine and the extraction from being carried on longer than desired. The convection currents in the wine tank, together with mechanical agitation, serve to distribute the extractives uniformly through the wine. The extracting tank should be equipped with a cloth-covered false bottom, again to hold back any herb particles that may have escaped from burst cotton bags, when the wine was withdrawn.

After the extraction, the wine is balanced through the addition of tannin, sugar, acids, or other required materials. Then it should be allowed to rest for one week and then filtered. Pectinous resistance in the first filtration process would be easily overcome by treating the young vermouth beforehand with pectin-breaking-down-enzymes.

Following this filtration, the wine should stand for at least three months, during which time the several congenerics can blend completely. A cloudiness may develop during this time through purely natural causes in this blending process, and the cloud could of course be removed through fining and proper filtration methods.

Certain phases of the development of the formula and the production of vermouth are purely mechanical, but the production of quality products is still essentially an art, the same as production of quality liqueurs.

It will remain an art rather than a science until each separate constituent can be analyzed objectively, and until the inferential effect of each material added to a blend is subject to analysis. Until this day comes, the analysis of the various components and the effect of various additives must still be made by a carefully developed palate and an instinct that is partly inborn and brought out only after a long practice and experience in flavors.

A compounded wine also can be manufactured for tax purposes through the addition of commercial vermouth extracts or essences to any wine base. By using these the flexibility of a character product one desires diminishes and makes the addition of herbs lacking in the essence always necessary.

A quality vermouth product is produced only by the cellarman who lives with the product and whose life and professional pride is tied with it. There is much creative character and proud workmanship left in us so that we could imitate successfully the honored cellar guild of past centuries and their masters in our comparatively young industry. “The quality of one’s products should be the integrity and honor of the maker.”

September 24, 2009

the importance of vermouth

Filed under: vermouth — Tags: , , — sjs @ 2:43 pm

 The importance of vermouth (1941)

by B.B. Turner

General Manager, Roma Wine Co.

Vermouth today is the fastest growing item in the United States wine trade. It is also the one item about which less is known than any other, and upon which there is a great demand for information. It is a mystery to the average dealer and consumer. And to the wine industry it is vastly important because it has a future market noncompetitive with, but potentially as important as our standard Clarets, Sauternes, Ports, Sherries, Tokays and Muscatels.

The United States has never, until very recently, been introduced properly to Vermouth. It has long been just one of the mysterious ingredients mixed into cocktails, like bitters, seldom or never tasted straight. Americans don’t know whether Vermouth is a wine, a cordial, a liqueur, or distilled spirit or a brew.

Yet the fact is that Americans like the flavor of this temperate beverage, once they taste it. They like it equally well, whether as a minor ingredient in a Martini or Manhattan, or straight, or as the major ingredient in such mixtures as Vermouth cocktails and highballs. The mixing of Martinis and Manhattans still consumes most of the average 1,600,000-gallon annual U.S. Vermouth sales volume. But coming into popularity are the chilled glass of Vermouth straight at luncheon or at appetizer time, and the dozen other beverages in which Vermouth predominates.

Every present indication is that Vermouth consumption in America may soon become larger than at any time in history. The strange phase of this event is that it has been brought about by cutting of the supply of nearly nine-tenths of all the Vermouth this country formerly consumed—the Vermouth of Europe.

By introducing U.S. Vermouths to Americans, and Americans to our own country’s Vermouths, we are discovering a new mutual attraction, that many soon ripen into enthusiastic acceptance. Many wine producers and distributors who never tried to sell Vermouth before are becoming interested. They see Vermouths of this country, principally California, as quickly occupying the former market, and are showing signs of developing a greater market than foreign Vermouths ever had here.

Why has California not produced much Vermouth before, when it supplied nearly 90 per cent of all the other wine used in America? The fact is that California has produced Vermouth for many years, but in limited quantities for discriminating tastes that recognized the special qualities of the California product. We have never produced it extensively because the market was not important enough. Furthermore, until very recently, United States tax laws discriminated against Vermouths produced in this country by imposing a triple tax on them, as against a single tax on the foreign product. One of the Federal taxes was eliminated in 1936, and another in 1940, thus equalizing the tax on foreign and U.S. Vermouths. Today our good California Vermouths not only equal the average foreign product, for are individual—and to most American tastes, preferable to anything from other countries.

Most people ask us, “What is Vermouth?” The simple answer is, Aromatized Wine. It is imply wine flavored with infusions of various aromatic herbs, roots, flowers, seeds.

What kinds of herbs, roots and seeds? Any number, is the answer. Usually 25 to 30 different kinds are used. Roma Wine Company has nearly 100 kinds in its various Vermouth formulae. They range through the alphabet from Angelica root to Yarrow, and in between come dozens of rare, rhapsodical items like Blessed thistle, Cinchona bark, Peach leaves, Cordiander, Elder flowers, Rosemary, Thume, Hyssop, Marjoram, Valerian.

What kinds of wine? Pure wines, carefully selected wine of neutral or delicate flavors, mellowness, balance, clarity and strength selected to blend perfectly with the aromatic herbs an individual winery uses. The formula is always the secret of the individual producer. Seldom indeed does more than one use the same. The exception to this rule is when synthetic Vermouths are made from alcohol instead of wine.

We are asked so many questions about Vermouth generally, and Roma Vermouths in particular, that we much conclude the public wants to know at least briefly how it is produced.

Of first importance, usually, is the wine. Only a few wines will make satisfactory Vermouth. The best Vermouths are made with wine for which the grape varieties have been carefully selected years before they ever come into contact with the herbs. The wines much be comparatively neutral …

 

(i don’t have all of this one because it was attached to another article which i had requested… but the author was being a pretentious asshole and was working hard to build high art exclusivity around his vermouth.  there are other articles that chronicle vermouth production at the roma wine co. and this article has its own entry in amerine’s bibliography)

September 21, 2009

vermouth: its production & future

Filed under: vermouth — Tags: , , , — sjs @ 2:53 pm

another great wines & vine article from 1945 

Vermouth: its production & future

by H. Otto Sichel

The history of Vermouth in this country is colorful and interesting to follow. Before prohibition, imported Vermouths dominated the field. Small quantities of American Vermouths were produced in California as early as 1898, but could not attain prominence against the stronger imported competition.

When repeal came in 1933, it soon became obvious that mixed drinks were more popular than ever. Vermouth, being an ingredient of two of the most widely accepted cocktails, gained in importance. The market for Vermouth was then centered in the hands of a few world famous imported brands. U.S. Vermouth could not be produced at the time, as it was subject to a triple tax: on the base wine, on the finished product and a tax for fortification. This tax burden made American Vermouths non competitive in price with the well established imports.

A change in these conditions occurred when in 1936 the Liquor Administration Act was adopted which made Vermouth liable to one single tax, the one levied on dessert wines. To benefit from these new regulations, the Vermouth maker has to comply with certain restrictions. No brandy for fortification can be added in this country, and the extract can be prepared only by the use of wine with macerated herbs. Some methods, widely practiced abroad and partly responsible for the quality and character of the imports, cannot be employed in this country, among them fortification of the base wine, flavor extraction with brandy and distillation of the extract.

Since 1937 we have seen a steady and substantial growth in the production of American Vermouths, a growth remarkable for a new industry after only eight years of existence. This trend has been tremendously boosted by the precarious situation in which the imported brands found themselves since 1940 when Italy declared war on the side of the Axis and France was overrun by the Nazis. The main source of supplies for imported Vermouths was thus eliminated almost over night. Some of the most famous brands are today imported from South American countries where a great demand for Vermouth as an aperitif wine as induced locally owned wineries—many years before outbreak of the present conflict—to acquire franchises on name, label and formula from some of the leading Italian Vermouth makers. These South American Vermouths resemble very closely the original European product. However, even from South American imports are curtailed at the present time, due to difficulties in transportation and other causes.

Meanwhile the domestic Vermouth industry was growing stronger and stronger and at least during the last 3 years, as a result of war time conditions, had no longer to contend with the full competition of well established imported brands. There are principally two Vermouth producing sections in this country: One in California with 70 Vermouth producing wineries (according to latest statistics available, ending June 30, 1943); the other one in New York New Jersey with 116 Vermouth wineries. In these three states 186 Vermouth wineries are operating, out of 238 all over the United States. The remaining 52 premises are making Vermouth in 10 additional states of the Union. Productionwise, the three states, New York, New Jersey and California, produced in 1943 almost 94 per cent of the nationally made Vermouth and nearly 80 per cent of the national tax paid withdrawals.

We have seen that since repeal the Vermouth market in this country has undergone three distinct and separate stages: first from 1933 to 1937 when imports dominated the field and no Vermouth was made domestically; then from 1937 to 1940 when a domestic industry was being built up, but was not yet strong enough to give a clear picture of the competitive position with imported Vermouth; and finally from 1940 to the present day when the domestic industry grew very strong and imports were heavily curtailed. Not by any yardstick can these last years with their artificially increased buying power of the public be considered “normal” years. Only free competition after termination of present war time restrictions will give the answer to the potential of the Vermouth field in general and to the relative strength of imported versus domestic Vermouths. Undoubtedly there will be a lucrative field for both categories.

The diagram shows the apparent consumption figures for combined imported and domestic Vermouths, for fiscal years 1935 through 1943. Consumption figures for imports for last three years are not published and are estimated. It may be worthwhile to remember that these figures represent “apparent” consumption, based on tax withdrawals, not actual consumption and therefore last year’s figure may include ample stocks in distributors’ and dealers’ hands which have not yet reached the consumer. The figures show a steady increase, almost year by year. The tremendous progress made, particularly since 1940, is very satisfying. Consumption for almost 3,000,000 gallons for 1943 is more than triple the 1935 figure and represents a 40 per cent increase over the previous year, the biggest growth both in percentage and gallonage for any individual year since repeal.

Vermouth Production

The art of making Vermouth entails great experience, long research, infinite care and much patience. Vermouth production consists of three distinct separate steps: the preparation of the base wine, the extraction of the herb flavors and finally the finishing and bottling of the product.

The wine base of sweet Vermouth is a sweetened white wine. In Italy, a wine made from a mild Muscat grape, the Muscat Canelli, served as a base for the best Vermouth of this type. It is mild in character, low in alcohol, high in sugar. Grape concentrate is added to arrive at the required degree of sweetness of about 10 per cent; the color is adjusted by caramel. The wine is then fortified with brandy. Italian law prescribes that no wines younger than one year of age may be used in the making of Vermouth.

American Vermouth regulations prohibit the addition of brandy during production. The base wine for American Vermouth is, therefore, a neutral dessert wine type of 21 to 24 per cent alcohol, most frequently a blend of an Angelica or White Port type wine with Muscatel. It is sweetened with sugar or grape concentrate and blended with other wine of lower alcohol content so as to reach the desired 16 to 18 per cent of alcohol. Acidity of the blend is adjusted by citric acid. Baked Sherry wine should be avoided; its rancid flavor is undesirable in Vermouth. Wines from the east of the country must be used with caution, as the foxiness of the native grape tends to overshadow the herb flavor. The more neutral California wines are generally favored.

Base wine for American dry Vermouths are similarly blended from white table wines and fortified Sauterne type wines of about 24 per cent, thereby arriving at a blend of about 18 to 19 per cent alcohol. In France, the neutral light colored wines from the department Herault, well aged for two or three years, are considered the most desirable. They are often blended with a slightly sweeter and fuller wine made from the Grenache grape. These blends are then fortified with brandy to about 18 per cent; their sweetness is adjusted by adding “mistelles” (fortified grape juice). It appears that both in France and Italy considerably more time is allowed for the aging of the base wine than is usual in this country.

Flavor and aroma of Vermouth is derived from a carefully selected variety of herbs, seeds, flowers, fruits, barks, and peels. The herb formulas used show great individual differences as to quantity and composition. The origin, right selection, relative quantities and absolute purity of the herbs is of utmost importance to the quality of the finished product. Most herbs are imported in dried form. Their storage should be given great attention since many of them easily acquire a certain mustiness if stored in an insufficiently ventilated warehouse, whereas too much ventilation results in loss of flavor-giving properties.

About 60 to 80 herbs and other ingredients are known to be part of the numerous herb formulas. An individual herb mixture for sweet Vermouth has anywhere between 10 and 30 different herbs, whereas recipes for dry Vermouths consist of scarcely more than 20 different ingredients, The exact composition of the herb mixture used is a jealously guarded secret of the producers, though some of the older recipes, mainly of European origin, have been published. The occasional stories of a herb formula consisting of 100 and more ingredients, belong to the realm of fancy.

Another point of great variance is the quantity of herb mixture necessary to produce one gallon of Vermouth. Quantities as low as ½ ounce and as high as 4 ounces have been suggested. Average figures in this country are in the neighborhood of 1 to 1.2 ounce of herbs per gallon sweet Vermouth and .5 to .7 ounce per gallon of dry Vermouth.

In the following are listed those herbs and parts of the plants which we most frequently encounter in Vermouth formulas:

Coriander (seed)

Bitter Orange (fruit peel)

Angelica (root and seed)

Calamus (root)

Chincona (bark)

Clove (flower)

Elecampane (root)

Cinnamon (bark)

European Centaury (plant)

Roman Wormwood (plant)

Gentian (root)

Elder (flowers)

Blessed Thistle (plant) is mainly used for dry Vermouth, though occasionally we may find it also in herb mixtures for sweet Vermouths. Coriander and Cloves are more important for production of sweet Vermouth and only infrequently found in recipes for dry Vermouth. Other ingredients such as Lesser Cardamon (fruit), Anise (seed), Tonca (beans), Vanilla (beans), Quassia (wood), Dittany of Crete (aerial portion and flowers), Germander (plant) and many other may be part of the herb formula. This list is far from complete.

An important ingredient in some of the original Italian sweet Vermouth formulas and in most of the older French herb mixtures for dry Vermouth was the wormwood herb (artemisia absinthium) which contains the glucoside absinthe. The use of this herb is prohibited today, in this country as well as in most foreign countries, as absinthe is classed as a habit forming drug, impairing the public health. Another member of the artemisia family, however, artemisia pontica or Roman wormwood, is harmless and frequently used in herb-mixtures for sweet Vermouths.

Whereas flavor and aroma of Vermouth are quite characteristic, the composition of the herb mixture varies widely. It is typical for the great variety of herbs used, that of 12 Vermouth formulas before us, not one single herb is a component of all of these 12 herb recipes.

Before the outbreak of the present war, most herbs were imported to this country; some from Europe and many from the Far East, the traditional treasure house for spices and herbs since time immemorial. Wartime restrictions have led to a great shortage of many of these herbs. Successful attempts have been made in many instances to either substitute such herbs for similar ones available here or to grow formerly imported herbs in the Western Hemisphere. The flavor of such “home grown” herbs is satisfactory, but its intensity is frequently less pronounced than in the imported varieties. To counteract the diminished pungency, a slightly increased quantity per gallon of Vermouth is often advisable.

To impart the herb flower to the base wine is a delicate operation. The herb mixture is either allowed to macerate directly in the wine or a concentrated extract is prepared which is later blended with the base wine. In certain proportions. The herb flavor is most frequently extracted with wine or alcohol; boiling water is occasionally used. The usual method of flavor extraction for production of dry Vermouth in France is by infusion in the wine base. In Italy, the herbs macerate for one week in spirits of about 170 proof; the extract is then mixed with some more alcohol and white wine. This blend is sometime concentrated by distillation to about half its original volume and after several weeks of rest is blended with the base wine.

Extraction of herbs with spirits of brandy is prohibited in this country. Preparation of an extract by maceration is the most generally accepted method and is favored over direction infusion in the wine since it guarantees a more uniform quality of the finished product. The herbs stay in the wine for one to three weeks during which time they are constantly stirred. If they are left in contact with the wine for too extended a period, an undesirable bitterness of flavor may result. Occasionally percolation instead of the simpler method of maceration is used. Some herbs and barks, known to cause cloudiness in Vermouth, are subjected to individual extraction and separate treatment of the infusion from such components is advisable to avoid sediment in the Vermouth later on.

The extract should be allowed to age till the varied flavor components are well “married” and no one herb dominates over others. The herb concentrate is then blended with the base wine in predetermined proportions. Further aging over several months is highly recommended to improve the quality. The finishing methods usually employed for treatment of dessert wine are applied. Refrigeration at low temperatures is frequently a necessary step to precipitate certain chemical substances derived from the herbs which, if not eliminated, may lead to cloudiness. The Vermouth should be fined and filtered and then is ready for bottling. Aging in the bottle for more than two months is unnecessary, as it will not improve the quality of the product.

The Future of Vermouth

During the last 10 years we have seen an astonishing growth of Vermouth sales from a yearly figure of less than ½ million cases to well over 1 million in 1943. The figure for 1943 alone constitutes a 40 per cent increase over the previous year. A similar growth is not expected in 1944; the consumption figure for this year is anticipated to be about the same as in 1943.

To what, then, can we look forward in Vermouth sales when, after termination of the war, more normal conditions prevail on the market again? The whiskey shortage of the last two years is certainly responsible in part for the increased consumption. Many bars and restaurants, being short of whiskey and gin, tried to stretch existing stocks by boosting mixed drinks, such as Manhattans and Martinis. A more ample whiskey supply and reduced earning power of the public are likely to reduce consumption of mixed drinks to a normal level after return of pre-war conditions. It is our opinion that additional promotional efforts to increase the consumption of these cocktails will be of little avail: The drinks are too well known to respond casily to further sales promotion. Their peace time consumption is nearing the saturation point.

More promising is the field of lesser-known mixed drinks made with Vermouth. In this category we mention the great favorite of pre-war France, Vermouth Cassis. This delightful drink, if promoted by smart sales efforts, may become a summer favorite and thereby create a new outlet for Vermouth.

However, any further substantial expansion of the Vermouth business beyond its present level depends on successful education of the public towards consumption of straight Vermouth. It is so used in Italy and France almost exclusively. Too many consumer in this country, when using Vermouth think of it only as an ingredient for mixed drinks. They are unaware that Vermouth is in itself a fully finished product, a “herb cocktail” that can stand on its own merits. It may be taken either straight, slightly chilled with a piece of lemon peel twisted over it, as an appetizer, or as a long drink, a Vermouth highball. Great efforts should be made to make the consuming public understand that Vermouth is a wine and a most enjoyable one at that. Good progress has been made in this direction during the last two years. It is in the sphere of straight Vermouth consumption that we see a great potential for further expansion of the Vermouth business in this country.

September 18, 2009

ice wine grenadine

Filed under: liqueur recipes, non-alcoholic, traditions — Tags: , , — sjs @ 4:14 pm

so for a while i’ve been fascinated by the idea of concentrating liquids in the absence of heat.  heat tends to destroy certain delicate flavors.   it was explained to me that you can’t make strawberry eau-de-vie you can only make “cooked strawberry” eau-de-vie.  the same is true of the pomegranate and is why i was thwarted in making my pomegranate triple-sec.  (the fruit expression sucked).  ideas sat in my head for a while and i was further dazzled by a honey called malati di bosco made, not from blossoms, but alpine spruce trees that get attacked by aphids.  the bees collect the excess aphid secretions and you experience the concentrated soul of the tree without heat interfering. (maple syrup is created by reducing maple sap significantly.  heats evaporates lots of flavor but also creates new ones)  the honey is epic with the ironous blood and spruce pineyness making you feel the trees’ sorrow.

all this time i’ve been waiting for pomegranate season to see if i could really find their soul.  all the pomegranate juice you buy is pasteurized, cooking the flavor into a vegetal stew-y mess that also destroys the seductive fuchsia color.  in making grenadine most people also concentrate the extract of their juice by reducing it with heat.  like maple syrup flavors are lost and flavors are created.  i’d say more is lost…

my plan was to use the “ice wine technique” to concentrate the flavor.  i was going to simply juice fresh pomegranates,  freeze concentrate the juice one iteration, hopefully increasing extract potency by at least 50% and finally sugaring to approximately 40 brix. (a 40 brix syrup is a great contrast for an equal volume of lemon or lime juice)

a friend told me that i could simply quarter the fruit and put it through a lemon juicer.  it worked pretty well but i deviated slightly by using the “flat on flat” adapter on my orange x brand juicer instead of the usual cone in a cup mechanism.  the fruit i got was smaller than normal and i was still able to extract 2 oz. of juice per pomegranate.  i froze the juice in half quart containers then let 50% of the juice thaw (i poked holes in the container) into a one cup sized container (the frozen juice separates from the thawed juice through the holes or by just opening the lid and dumping into the new container what thaws).  what was separated was mostly a plug of clear slush from juice that tasted significantly more concentrated.  i forgot to test the starting sugar content but my post thaw sugar content was 19.5 brix.  (i think pomegranate juice is usually in the low teens)  i brought it up slowly to 40 brix by stirring in white sugar and remeasuring. (it took less than 5 minutes to hit my mark perfectly)

(i tested the end results of my second batch and the 50% i kept had a brix of 22 while the 50% i discarded had a brix of 3.5 which mean i probably started at 12 brix. a killer boost of concentration for one iteration! sugar doesn’t mean much when i’m really looking for extract but i think i can assume it follows suit)

i didn’t have any fresh eggs but wanted to make something pink lady esque for my first drink.

.75 oz. lemon juice

.75 oz. ice wine grenadine

.5 oz. cognac

1.5 oz. tanqueray gin

for starters the color is mind blowing.  i’ve never witnessed a drink with a prettier hue.   the tonal qualities of the grenadine are amazing.  the simple familiar contrast of the gin and cognac really elevate the unique fruit expression.  the sugar ethic is perfect as well to maximize flavor enlivenment. delightful.

September 10, 2009

revolution in vermouth

Filed under: vermouth — Tags: — sjs @ 1:21 pm

another mid century wines & vines article.  from an anonymous author.  hopefully i can post some comments soon.   a chart comparing foreign and domestically produced vermouth sales throughout the 1940’s acompanies the article.  basically before the war foreign vermouth outsold american significantly then due to the war american vermouth sales rose significantly and stayed that way,  even after the war.

“Revolution in vermouth”

How and why U.S. Vermouths, once a poor second in quality and sales to foreign Vermouths, took over the market

Essentially, vermouth is a wine which has soaked up the essences of certain herbs to give it a particular flavor.

Its tough to describe this flavor. Even the government, in spite of having at its command all the men who know all the words, can only say that vermouth is a wine which looks and tastes like vermouth.

To get that look and taste is a kind of art. Sometimes twenty-five different herbs, roots, and flowers are used, sometimes more. Each winery has its own vermouth formula and it’s quite unlikely that any two wineries use the exact same formula in making their vermouths.

Since that is the case, it’s almost a miracle how close to each other in color, bouquet and taste the various top quality vermouths come.

Vermouths made in the United States are called “Italian” or “French” without actually being labeled as such—not that anybody wants to fool the consumer, but because the terms have become descriptive of the type of vermouth.

The Italians originated the spiced wine which we now call vermouth. The French tried to copy it but their light wines could not produce the same type. Eventually, a world market was built up for both vermouth types; and the term “Italian” (sweet) or “French” (dry) is almost always used as a descriptive word.

In Europe, vermouth is often consumed alone as an apertif—an appetizer wine. In this country we use it mainly to dress up gin or whiskey so that we can call it a Martini or a Manhattan. Fifteen years ago when a U.S. Taxpayer bought a bottle of “Italian” vermouth, he got stuff made in Italy; and when he put down his money for “French” vermouth it was a cinch the contents of the bottle was produced in France. Today most vermouths sold over U.S. Retail store counters are made, spiced, and bottled right in this country.

This reversal practically constitutes a revolution—but a legal revolution, because a change in Federal law made it possible.

Previous to 1936 a U.S. Winery which made vermouth was only kidding itself that it was going to sell it. Vermouth production was handicapped, not only by lack of experienced vermouth men, but by the fact that the Treasury Department figured the spiced wine was good for double taxes.

One tax was collected on the beverage when it was turned from grape juice to wine. The second—and bigger—tax was collected when the wine was given its herbal tastes. This, our government said, was rectification and the maker should pay the same tax rate as for rectified brandy or whiskey, or what-not.

With a deal like that, it was almost impossible for a U.S. Winery to make and sell a vermouth to the public at a price in line with what the market would bear. U.S. vermouth production was practically non-existent.

But the 1936 change in the law removed the rectification tax and made it possible to produce vermouth in this country at a reasonable cost.

A number of our wineries went into the business, but it would be nothing more than charity to call their first efforts a success, either from a taste viewpoint or from a sales outlook.

But out citizens are stubborn. They don’t know when they’re licked. The industry stuck to it, learned something about vermouth production, and even imported a few European vermouth experts to take over.

The product got better, but it still was a long way from matching the imported varieties either in quality or sales.

Then came World War II. The flow of imported vermouth from Europe slowed down as gradually as a automobile which as smashed into a telephone pole. The tiny stock of European vermouth in U.S. Warehouses became smaller and smaller, while demand for vermouth obstinately got bigger and bigger.

The U.S. wine industry bugged its eyes at what was happening.

“Look,” said many a vintner to himself, “Here’s a thirsty, ready-made market for vermouth, and nobody to feed it but little old me?”

He jumped in along with many, many others. They made “Italian” vermouth and “French” vermouth, hurried it to market and sat back to await results.

The U.S. vermouths sold—but only few of them were good, and fewer excellent. However, the public needed vermouth. Practically the only vermouth to be had was that made in the U.S. and so the stuff sold.

Up to here the story of U.S. vermouth was a sad one. From this point on, it became a happier tale.

The producers got mad about not being able to make good vermouth. They brought in more experts, studied their methods, made extensive experiments, worked harder and harder, and gradually the quality of U.S. vermouth moved out of the poor range into the “fair” out of the “fair” and into the “good”–and in a few cases, even into the “excellent.” U.S. vermouths were going places.

The producers were happy, but in their hearts they knew that the real test of the future would come only after the war, when European vermouths once again got their one-way tickets to the U.S. Could our products hold their own?

In 1946, the testing period began. Vermouths began to pour into our customs houses from dollar-hungry France and Italy. Once again the store shelves carried noted foreign vermouth labels, but this time they had plenty of company from U.S. producers.

The public looked, pondered and tested, trying to make up its mind. Finally, the decision became clear. European vermouths were generally excellent; they had their place in our market. But U.S. vermouths also ranged from good to excellent, and they didn’t coast as much.

From that point on, the U.S. product was assured of its place as the big vermouth seller. Taking 1949 as an example, our consumption of U.S. vermouth and other appetizer wines was 2,385,000 gallons; of foreign vermouth, 1,021,000 gallons a ratio of 2/1/4 to 1 in our favor. (A decade ago, the ration was 7 to 1 in favor of foreign vermouths.)

In those same ten years, U.S. consumption of vermouth has increased 25 per cent—a sign of public satisfaction.

The U.S. industry has come a long way in ten years. It hopes to go farther.

September 7, 2009

vermouth… some practical hints

Filed under: vermouth — Tags: , — sjs @ 2:27 pm

this is a reporduction of a 1945 wines & vines article.  it may be under copyright but i’m reproducing it anyhow to make the information more available and give the wonderful people at interlibrary loan a break.  hopefully this great body of work can help rejuvenate interest in aromatized wines.

by george v. carson

As an old hand in making both dry and sweet vermouth, I have read with great interest H. Otto Sichel’s excellent article about vermouth in the march issue of Wines & Vines. There is no doubt in my mind that domestic vermouth is going to stay, especially as it is quite feasible to produce vermouth in this country on a par with the best French and Italian products. Some herbs now obtainable are not so intensive as those formerly imported from Europe, but in the not too distant future we may expect to import these again which will greatly ease the work of the vermouth producers.

There are a few points in Mr. Sichel’s article which might be elucidated with advantage. Speaking from many years’ practice, I would like to give a few hints as to the best way of producing both dry and sweet vermouth under present conditions of government regulations and market conditions. 

There have been published innumerable vermouth formulas, both in Europe and in this country—some fantastic, some misleading, but hardly a single one of them can be used with good practical results. European houses try to keep their formulas secret and it is not likely that the published formulas actually are those being used in a recognized winery. Nevertheless, after many years of research and experimenting I can say that, with eight extract of herbs for dry vermouth and six extracts for sweet, it is possible to produce qualities as good as any manufactured in France or Italy. 

I do not favor the addition of herbs directly to the wine. It is much better to macerate these herbs in fortified white wine of 21 per cent alcohol, in separate containers, stirring them daily for two to three weeks. Of these macerated herbs, one-half of 1 percent of some, and up to 5 per cent of others, are added to the fortified white wine, together with other wines or sweetening material to turn it into vermouth.

The maceration in white fortified wine or unbaked sherry material is quite as effective as any method used in Europe. There, brandy or neutral spirits, cut down to 20 to 25 per cent by volume, is being used in the process of maceration, with the cutting down being effective in some cases by water at or near the boiling point. It is new to me “that in Italy herbs are being macerated in spirits of about 170 proof” which is equal to 85 per cent by volume –a procedure which, in my opinion is more likely to kill the aroma than to bring it out.

According to article 86-A, regulations No. 7, approved October 6, 1937, amended-distilled spirits may be used for manufacturing essences “to extract and hold in solution the flavoring materials” for vermouth. However, as the distilled spirits for such essences have to be taxpaid, the above method, while being quite as effective, is more economical.

It is advisable, after the herbs have been macerated sufficiently, to make a trial blend in a small quantity to ascertain whether the combination is according to the quality desired or whether adjustments are necessary.

 This trial blend should be observed for at least three weeks, so as to be sure that there is no excessive bitterness in the finished product. Artemesia and some other herbs have the tendency sometimes to develop an excessively bitter taste after some weeks, but it is a taste which cannot be detected immediately. However, if the trial blend is satisfactory after about three weeks in storage, the big blend can be produced in saftey.

Speaking about herba absinthii or artemisia I would like to point out that, as far as I am aware, no law in this or any other country prohibits the use of these herbs for maceration, the product of which is harmless. The distillation of these herbs, however, is outlawed in most countries because the end product is absinth, a liquor that is considered harmful. As for the basic material to be used for dry and sweet vermouth, any sound, neutral white wine with a high total of fixed acidity fortified to 21 per cent for dry and 24 per cent for sweet vermouth can be employed. As the white wines with the necessary fixed acidity are scarce in california the addition of citric or tartaric acid as suggested by Mr. Sichel is indicated.

 The same wines should be used for the maceration of the herbs.

For sweet vermouth the addition, beside sugar, of about 10 per cent of a good muscatel with greatly improve the quality, while dry vermouth needs only a very slight addition of sugar or sweet wine, refrigeration of the finished product is highly advisable.

It would greatly facilitate the production of vermouth if fortification of white wine, sweetening material and extracts of herbs were to be permitted in the fortifying room of a winery, as suggested in my article, “some suggestion to simplify regulations concerning the production of dessert wines,” published in no. 5 of Wines and Vines in may, 1943.

*******

this article seems to be a reply to another article in wine & vines by a Mr. Sichel.  i do have a request in for Sichel’s article with inter library loan and hopefully will have it soon.  one of the important things to take away from the article is Carson’s take on vermouth’s high art style exclusivity.  he thoerizes that many of the available vermouth recipes might even be intentionaly misleading.  he is confident that 8 botanicals can make a vermouth though i think it would create flavors fun but less refined as in Carpano’s Antica.  Carson’s maceration technique is notable.  He infuses at the minimum of alcohol that can keep the wine stable so as not to over extract the botanicals.  Carson claims the European’s do the same but differs in that he primarily uses wine as the base instead of water and a distillate.  He claims its for tax porposes but it also has the effect of preserving the natural acidity in the wine which is pointed out as a problem in california wines. (though its noted you can just add acid powder)  

Carson’s maceration advice would probably help in production of cocktail bitters.  i’ve tasted too many lately that were ruthlessly bitter in a negative way.  in my opinion bitters dont’ have to be “bitter”.  they are merely a set of extracts that borrowed the name “bitters” from their previously medicinal heritage.  to make them non potable the TCB should focus, not on making them objectionable “bitter” but rather on having a sufficently high dry extract.  extract over a certain level probably sufficiently leads to non potability.

interestingly Carson explains vermouth’s take on wormwood.  its not illegal until its distilled and it comes across as the less its talked about the better.  Carson never really talks about the analytical technique of constructing a formula and over all seems like he is making budget vermouth and not high art.  Amerine’s bibliography of vermouth has another article by Carson in it that is mainly about proposals for the tax code and the abstract notes that all of his suggestions were adopted.

September 3, 2009

m.i.a.

Filed under: Uncategorized — sjs @ 11:33 pm

if anybody is wondering what i’m up to i’ve mainly been writing about drinks on egullet. i haven’t done too much that fits into the bostonapothecary blog. i just made the final cuts on a pear eau de vie which is now mellowing. i also just inter library loaned six mid century wine & vines articles on vermouth production that i’ll review here eventually. traffic is slim and comes mainly from search results. people do search for crazy things and apparently there is a lot of interest in the power of the hydrometer and the sugar content of liqueurs. (maybe for caloric reasons?)

if anyone for some reason wants more of the bostonapothecary check out my musings on the egullet spirits and cocktail forum…

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