Rosé Vermouth

Rosé Vermouth from Helmut Wermut with Red Bell Pepper and Physalis

Rosé Vermouth from Helmut Wermut is the savory one of the three Hamburg vermouths, based on a Palatinate Pinot Noir cuvée. Physalis, goji berry, and sweet fig meet the spice of red bell pepper, and it took the title of World's Best Semi-Dry at the World Vermouth Awards.

Rosé Vermouth is the youngest and most unusual of the three varieties that Markus Weiß has been producing in Hamburg under the name Helmut Wermut since 2017. Instead of herbal bitterness or dark berries, the focus here is on a vegetable note: red bell pepper. This sounds idiosyncratic at first, but in the glass, it provides exactly the savory edge that gives the Rosé its character.

Red Bell Pepper Meets Physalis, Goji, and Fig

The Rosé is not as bold as the Red and not as floral as the White; instead, it plays in a league of its own between fruit and spice.

Physalis brings the tart acidity, goji berry a slightly bitter sweetness, and fig the depth. Layered over this is the roasted sweetness of red bell pepper, which you only recognize as such upon the second sip and cannot un-taste afterward. Fruity, savory, spirited—that is how the manufacturer describes its Rosé, and there is little to add to that.

With 18% ABV, it is also the strongest of the three. This helps it in long drinks, as it holds its own even when mixed with ice and carbonation.

Summer in a Glass, with Tonic or Sparkling Wine

No other vermouth in the Hamburg range handles carbonation as well as this one, and none looks better doing it.

Ten centiliters of Rosé with the same amount of tonic water over plenty of ice, plus a narrow strip of fresh red bell pepper instead of the usual lemon slice. This sounds like a gimmick, but it is the most honest interpretation of what is inside the bottle. Poured with sparkling wine instead of tonic, it becomes a spritz that stands up to any Aperol, only drier and with more herbal backbone.

The Rosé makes an impression on the table anyway, because its color lies somewhere between raspberry and pomegranate and literally glows when backlit. Paired with Manchego, air-dried ham, and a bowl of olives from our aperitif category, your afternoon is organized. Once opened, the bottle belongs in the refrigerator.

Pinot Noir from the Palatinate and a World Championship Title

For the Rosé, Markus Weiß worked with Christian from the Bergdolt-Reif & Nett winery to create a Pinot Noir-based cuvée that provides color and fruit without being overpowering.

Twenty-five ingredients are peeled, cut, and plucked by hand beforehand and macerated in alcohol for at least five weeks before the extract is pressed and blended with the wine in the Palatinate. Because no heat is involved, the delicate bell pepper note survives the process. With heat, it would have long since boiled away, leaving only a flat sweetness.

The jury of the World Vermouth Awards named the Rosé World's Best Semi-Dry in 2021, and it added Double Gold at the World Trophy 2022. The Austrian magazine Falstaff also listed it as the best Rosé vermouth. If you want to compare, place the floral White Vermouth or the berry-forward Red Vermouth next to it. You can also find alternatives in our vermouth category. 750 ml, 18% vol, contains sulfites.