Red Vermouth

Red Vermouth by Helmut Wermut with blackberry, bay leaf and rosemary

Red Vermouth by Helmut Wermut is a dark wine aperitif from Hamburg based on a Palatinate Dornfelder cuvée. Twenty-five herbs, fruits, and spices bring together the fruit of ripe blackberries with the spice of bay leaf and rosemary—tart and bold rather than sweet.

Red Vermouth is the boldest of the three vermouths that Markus Weiß has been producing under the name Helmut Wermut since 2017, and the only one based on Dornfelder. This Palatinate grape variety provides dark berry fruit and color without becoming heavy, and it keeps the sweetness in check because its own tannins push back. This makes the Red the classic rosso of the three, made for the mixing glass and the recipe.

Tart herb, ripe blackberry, dark spice

Fruity, spicy, tart—the Red builds up in exactly this order: blackberry first, then bay leaf and rosemary, followed by the bitterness of the wormwood herb.

This herbal spice is the reason why the Red works so reliably in stirred drinks. It stands up to gin, bitter liqueur, and ice instead of disappearing into them. If you want to get to know its character, pour it neat and at room temperature first, because cold closes off the spice, especially in dark vermouths.

After that, it belongs in the glass in its Sunday best: two ice cubes, a wide orange zest, an olive on the side, and the evening is off to a start.

The Negroni that made it famous

The Red is the vermouth for the mixing glass, and the most obvious exercise for it is the Negroni.

Three centiliters of red vermouth, three centiliters of bitter liqueur, and three centiliters of gin go into a mixing glass with plenty of ice, are stirred until cold, and strained into a tumbler. Top it with an orange zest, the oils of which bring out the berry fruit when expressed. If you like it long, pour ten centiliters with the same amount of ginger ale and add fresh mint.

The Red is also useful in the kitchen: a splash in a braising sauce for beef or game provides exactly the bitter edge that red wine would otherwise have to provide. Drizzled over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, the same bottle becomes a dessert where the blackberry suddenly takes center stage. And once opened, the bottle should be kept in the refrigerator, because at its core, vermouth is wine.

Dornfelder from the Palatinate, herbs from Hamburg

For each variety, Markus Weiß has coordinated a specific cuvée with Christian from the Bergdolt-Reif & Nett winery, and for the Red, they chose Dornfelder.

The herbal essences are created beforehand. Twenty-five ingredients are peeled, cut, and plucked by hand, steeped in alcohol for at least five weeks, and then pressed. The extract and wine only meet in the Palatinate, and because the herbs were processed there cold and without heat, the spice remains clear rather than dull. Everything passes through their own hands, so they can keep a handle on quality, the manufacturer states.

Three gold medals speak for the process: World Vermouth Awards 2021, Frankfurt International Trophy 2021, and World Trophy 2022. Alongside the Red, there is the floral white vermouth and the savory Rosé. If you would like to place all three side by side, you can find more bottles in our vermouth category. 750 ml, 17% vol, contains sulfites.