Portrait of Summer 

Every summer, I make a batch of foraged sweet vermouth inspired by what’s growing in the backyard and my neighborhood. Once the garden is in bloom, it’s time to take a snapshot of the season with a summery infusion that I’ll appreciate deep into the fall and winter. 

Vermouth, by definition, is a fortified aromatized wine infused with a combination of herbs, flowers, roots, seeds, fruit and spices, made shelf stable with the addition of spirit (vodka, Everclear, etc.), and typically sweetened with sugar. 

As a general rule (and template, really), vermouth must contain 75% wine and include wormwood, the signature bittering agent in absinthe. Since mugwort is in the wormwood family Artemisia and grows rampantly in New England, I use the stalks and leaves to add earthly, herbal bitterness to the vermouth. 

I make both white and red versions of this recipe, but it’s my sweet red vermouth that I love to use for summery Negronis, light Manhattans or—my favorite—simply over ice with splash of sparkling water, a twist of lemon or orange zest.

Some vermouths are flavored by steeping botanicals and spices directly in the wine and others infuse a tincture of herbs and spices into spirit that’s then added to the wine. Some folks add sherry or caramelized sugar for color and accent, but I prefer to sweeten with maple syrup, providing deeper color and natural sweetness. 

Many producers use dried herbs to steep into vermouth but I like to embrace fresh botanicals of the season for infusion. For me, a classic vermouth and soda recalls warm, breezy evenings by the beach and small café tables in Barcelona and Rome, accompanied by a good salty predinner snack like olives, potato chips or salted nuts. 

Summer doesn’t last forever, but a bottle of your very own foraged vermouth is just the ingredient to reminisce your favorite summery nights.

I make two bottles of foraged vermouth each summer for my home bar, one with red wine and one with white, but it’s the red sweet vermouth that seems to hit that summery note. Serve it my favorite way with two ounces over rocks, a splash of soda and a twist of lemon or orange zest and fresh herbs for garnish.