Foraged Fall Vermouth

I know it’s time to start harvesting ingredients for Foraged Fall Vermouth in September when I reach for a sweater before taking my pup, Mimosa, for a walk in the morning. We usually begin our day in the backyard to check on the garden. We walk between the raised beds past the leggy mint and bolting arugula, out to “the meadow”—a 12- by 12-foot wild patch behind the garden that’s gone basically untouched for the last 10+ years I’ve been living in my home.

I refuse to mow, weed or otherwise alter the green patch, preferring simply to see what pops up naturally during the season. It’s usually mugwort, motherwort, various mints, violet, burdock, wild wineberry and any number of plants (amaranth, where do you come from?). Many of these plants are considered invasive—and they are! Yet they’re welcome in my so-called meadow.

They also happen to be medicinal, flavorful, interesting and relatively under appreciated. These are the underdogs that form the base of my fall vermouth, a deliciously bittersweet and juicy ode to autumn with just enough zest and spice to warm you on a chilly evening. This is one of those “template recipes” where I often improvise if I don’t have a specific ingredient on hand.

By Willa Van Nostrand | September 15, 2024

Ingredients

1 bottle dry red wine (or white)
4 ounces vodka (or universal spirit like Everclear)
5–6 crab apples (or one apple), cored and diced
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole green cardamom pods
1 tablespoon dried mint (or mint tea bag)
1 tablespoon dried mugwort leaves (or 1 tablespoon dried wormwood)
¼ cup fresh wild arugula (store bought works!)
Zest of 1 orange
4 ounces maple syrup

Preparation

My favorite sweet vermouth formulas are sweet, lightly bitter and super botanical. You know it’s a good recipe when you like to drink the vermouth on its own or over ice.

In a clean glass jar large enough to hold a bottle of wine, plus spirits, etc., add botanicals and spices, cover with vodka and red wine and infuse for 2 weeks. Fine-strain, discard solids and pour into a clean glass jar to store. Add maple syrup, stir to dissolve; label and date the vermouth and refrigerate. Best if used within 3 months but will last up to 1 year.

Pour 2 ounces of vermouth over a large ice cube (or cubes); garnish with orange twist and fresh sage leaf. Sip over ice or top with a splash of sparkling water for a little pizzazz.

Note: Common mugwort grows in profusion in New England’s meadows and next to the woods. When foraging, be sure to pick leaves where no pesticides have been sprayed.