Vermouth

A fortified white wine flavored with herbs and spices. The name vermouth comes from the German word for wormwood, wermut. Several types of this wine are available. The best known is dry white vermouth, used most often in cocktails like the Martini. Sweet vermouth, which gets its reddish brown color from caramel, is used in cocktails such as the Manhattan. In the pastry kitchen, sweet vermouth is used to flavor desserts and sauces.