Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/537687
60 / the tasting panel / july 2015 T here's an ingredient hiding in your Manhattans and Negronis that leading craft cocktail bars are coaxing into the craft-drinking spotlight: vermouth. Long considered a classic modi- fier on American backbars, ver- mouth is taking the stage as a base spirit in cocktails by top bartend- ers across the U.S. Their enthu- siasm is having a ripple effect on their patrons, who are embracing this herbaceous fortified wine as a specialized, low-ABV alternative to their beloved craft gins and bourbons. "Vermouth is becoming a base spirit in peoples' mentality," says Lianne Adamczyk, Event and Cocktail Manager of Lil Indies in Orlando, Florida. Especially in the coming hot summer months, drinks with vermouth are giving imbibers options for light, complex sippers without the boozy heft of most craft cocktails. At Tall Paul's in Gainsville, FL, vermouth is a trending ingredient in cocktails like the R&R and the Endless Summer Punch. Vermouth Va-Voom PHOTO: JEREMIAH STANLEY CARPANO ANTICA FORMULA VERMOUTH STEPS INTO THE SPOTLIGHT by Éva Pelczer BRAND PROFILE