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Homemade Vermouth Recipe

Enjoy the delicate balance of rich, spicy, sweet, and bitter flavors of the drink!
Prep Time30 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Alcohol
Cuisine: Italian, Spanish
Keyword: Vermouth
Servings: 750 milliliters
Author: Ishani Bose

Ingredients

  • 3.75 cups white wine (divided)
  • 1 tsp dried chamomile
  • 1 tsp dried lavender
  • 1 orange
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 8 cardamom pods
  • 0.25 tsp wormwood leaf
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 0.25 cup boiling water
  • 0.5 cup sweet Indian sherry
  • 0.5 cup brandy

Instructions

  • Take an orange and cut it into half. Use one half to zest and set aside the other half for later use. 
  • Now take a cup of wine and pour it into a pot, while you set the rest aside. To this, add all the orange zest, dried chamomile, cardamom, cinnamon stick, dried lavender, star anise, and wormwood and let it cook on medium heat till it comes to a boil for about 5 minutes. Now, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Once done, remove it from the heat and keep it aside. Strain out the solids and pour the liquid in the pot. 
  • Meanwhile, in a separate pot, pour in the sugar and let it caramelize on medium heat. Once the sugar begins to melt, (that is melt into a caramel-colored liquid) turn it off and allow the caramelized sugar to cool. 
  • Allow the water to boil in a saucepan or tea kettle. Pour 1/4 cup of the water in a cup and add it to the caramelized sugar and stir. 
  • To the herb-infused wine, add the remaining wine and bring it to a boil. Thereafter, pour it slowly into the pot of caramelized sugar syrup and stir it frequently to perfectly blend them. Add sherry and brandy to the mixture and let it cool. Once done, pour it into a bottle and store it in the refrigerator.