The Rich History of Italian Vermouth and Its Culinary Role 🍷

+ Three delicious recipes and two special invites for this week

The Origins of Vermouth: An Italian Tradition

Vermouth is one of Italy’s greatest contributions to the world of beverages and gastronomy, yet its history stretches back far beyond the borders of modern Italy. This aromatized, fortified wine—flavored with botanicals such as wormwood, citrus peel, and herbs—has a deep-rooted tradition that dates back to ancient times. While vermouth is widely associated with classic cocktails like the Negroni and the Americano, its influence on Italian cuisine is equally significant.

The origins of vermouth can be traced to the herbal-infused wines of Ancient Greece and Rome. The practice of fortifying wine with herbs and botanicals was initially done for medicinal purposes. Ancient texts mention wines infused with wormwood, a key ingredient in vermouth, as early as 400 BCE. The name “vermouth” itself is derived from the German word "Wermut," meaning wormwood, an essential bittering agent in this aromatic wine.

---

Before we dig deep into vermouth let me first invite you to two special live events that I will be co-hosting this week as part of Grubstack, a unique virtual food festival.

I’ll be talking all things Italian food with some of Substack’s other amazing Italy-focused writers.

To join the sessions simply come to my channel at the advertised dates and times here on Substack and the broadcast will commence - I hope you’ll join us!

Be sure to invite any friends who you think will enjoy these unique free events - they just need to be subscribed to my Substack (as you are for the fact you’re reading this) to join!