Turning water into wine: great party trick supreme beings do on Sundays and at most weddings.
Turning wine into vermouth: you, with Balsam Amaro, the just-released spirit that has the wondrous ability to turn any wine into vermouth, on sale now.
Brought to you by Adam Seger (Hum Spirits) and Rodrick Markus (Rare Tea Cellar), Balsam Amaro reinvents the category of sweet vermouth.
Quick refresher: Amaro is the bittersweet Italian liqueur consumed after a well-eaten meal.
And vermouth — ⅓ of a Manhattan — is basically amaro with fortified wine.
The problem: Vermouth, because it’s a wine, has an extremely short shelf life.
So Balsam is an amaro. But it also allows you to make fresh vermouth by just adding wine. Which means fresh Manhattans. Fresh Negronis. Fresh Americanos.
Works with any wine, from Barbaresco to Riesling, and experimentation is encouraged.
Damn good stuff on its own, too: pronounced fennel and wormwood, hints of cardamom and other earthy flavors rounded out by exclusively aged tea.
Complex. Warrants simple enjoyment over ice. Maybe a splash of soda.
Grab a bottle at any Lush Wine & Spirits location across the city.
And let the miracles happen.
This article was featured in the InsideHook Chicago newsletter. Sign up now for more from the Windy City.
