Vermouth

Originating in the late eighteenth century in Italy and served in France and Italy as an aperitif or digestif, vermouth is better known in America as the mixer that makes Manhattans, Rob Roys, French kisses, and martinis. Vermouth can be dry, bitter, or sweet, and white or red. A wine fortified with brandy, vermouth gets its name from the German word for the bitter root wormwood, Vermut. Some vermouth is still made with wormwood (now known to be hallucinogenic), but it is more often made with other herbs and botanicals, giving it a distinctive aromatic taste.