Introducing our Scottish Vermouth ...

The last couple of years we have used these grapes to create our award winning Pinot Noir Gin.

However we had such a bountiful harvest in 2023 that we developed two new products from the grapes: a sweet Vermouth Rosso and a dry Vermouth Bianco. This aperitif is traditionally produced in Italy and according to Italian law, vermouth is a product made up of at least 75% wine, fortified and flavored with an alcoholic infusion of herbs and spices which must include artemisia (mugwort), in the Pontica and Absinthium varieties.

We realised that we had all the ingredients to hand: grapes, our base gin and mugwort growing wild in the garden. In Scotland, the native variety is Artemisia Vulgaris. 

It is a plant that has been used since the early Iron Age in Europe to flavour drinks and imparts a herbaceous, slightly bitter flavour.

Our Distiller, Mark Boswell, describes the process he used to make our new spirit.

Grapes were hand-harvested from our Glasshouse when ripe and at their maximum sweetness, usually between late August and mid-September. They’re a mix of Chardonnay grapes (that make the white vermouth) and Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier (that make the red).

The grapes are separated by colour into our 1000l stainless steel tanks and covered with our base gin. The volume used depends on how many grapes the vines have yielded but in 2022 and in 2023 it was around 100 to 150 litres, hence the small batch size of these products.

The grapes were left over Winter and into Summer to allow them to fully infuse into the gin, then tasted to confirm they’re ready (Ed. note: always a good day to be at work ☺️).

The resulting liquid is extracted from the solid elements and filtered many times using a series of hand filters to get rid of as many suspended particles as possible.

Some of the liquid is set aside for using in our Pinot Noir gin, the rest is sampled and sent to a lab to determine the ABV. Once we know that, the liquid is diluted to 22% and bottled in our signature brown Apothecary bottles as our dry white Vermouth Bianco or sweet red Vermouth Rosso.

It really is hard to believe that we are able to make such a unique Scottish spirit.

Ideally suited for cocktail making why don't you check out our Vermouth cocktail recipes here. However some of our customers are recommending the vermouth as a sipping spirit. 

'Just purchased a bottle of Vermouth, absolutely amazing. Five out of five stars. My initial reaction is the gorgeous aroma, which is very reminiscent of a very fine Cognac, making your taste buds want more. Highly recommend, as a great pre apertivo or after dinner tipple.'

SA, Edinburgh August 2024

So if you want to try the latest Scottish spirit : Secret Garden Distillery sweet Vermouth Rosso then click to buy here. Or if you want to try the dry Vermouth Bianco then click to buy here.