Drink of the Week: Veso Fig Leaf Vermouth

Think: miso sweet vermouth, tomato vermouth, and anchovy vermouth. It’s no wonder that bars and restaurants, such as Oddball in New York, Never Say Dive in Cleveland, and Republique in Los Angeles, are counting the brand among their favorites to experiment with.

Last year Chris Beyer, Veso CEO and founder, connected with Nick Amano-Dolan of San Francisco’s Trick Dog about collaborating on a vermouth. To craft the vermouth, Veso infused fig leaves and dried components—such as cacao, toasted coconut, and coriander seed—in brandy for four weeks.

Afterward, the infusion was mixed with a Pinot Blanc, sweetened with cane sugar, and balanced with quassia and cinchona. The aperitif shines whether mixed simply with tonic or in a cocktail like Amano-Dolan’s tropical Bamboo riff , the Bamboo Colada.

Or use it as a stand-in for dry or blanc vermouth in a spritz or Fifty-Fifty . Even though the fig leaf vermouth rolled out this past spring as a limited-edition product, its popularity has made Beyer consider making it a core product. “We plan to produce a five-times bigger batch size for the next year,” he says.

For now, get it while you still can. $36.96, astorwines.com .wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-107191_786e98-cb .kt-block-spacer{height:60px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-107191_786e98-cb .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;} Bamboo Colada 1 1/2 oz. Veso Fig Leaf Vermouth 1 1/2 oz. pineapple-infused Fino sherry 1/2 oz. coconut water Tiny pinch of salt (or 2 dashes 10:1 saline solution) Tools: Mixing glass, barspoon, strainer Glass: Nick & Nora Stir all the components with ice until ice cold, and strain into the glass.

Pineapple-Infused Fino Sherry Combine 1 1/2 cups of fresh, coarsely chopped pineapple with 750 ml of Fino sherry, making sure to include the pineapple skin. Infuse in the refrigerator for 24 hours and strain through a chinois. Will keep in the refrigerator for about a month.