Whether you drink a little or a lot, you’ll likely have some leftover wine at some point, especially after the Christmas indulgences. An open bottle will keep and stay drinkable for three to five days, but if it gets any older, use it up in all manner of dishes, from bourguignon to bolognese. Alternatively, be more adventurous, save up your old wine until you’ve got 500ml, and make a bottle of your very own vermouth, a fortified wine full of aromatic botanicals. It’s delicious served neat over ice or made into my favourite New Year’s Eve cocktail, negroni (to make that, just pour a shot each of your very own vermouth, gin and Campari into a glass, and serve on ice with a slice of orange).
Vermouth is a complex and bittersweet fortified wine, full of aromatic botanicals. This recipe is quick and simple to make. Try adding or removing different herbs and spices, depending on what you have available, to make your own distinct recipe. Mugwort is a key ingredient for its bitter flavours and grows prolifically in the wild, but dandelion leaves (which are easy to identify) make a great replacement if you can’t forage any yourself.
500ml red or white wine 2 sprigs mugwort or 3 dandelion leaves 1 sprig wild fennel or ½ tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp camomile tea flowers 8 cardamom pods 3 cloves 1 star anise 1 shard cinnamon bark 1 bay leaf 1 slice orange peel 150g caster sugar 150ml cider brandy
Pour 100ml wine into a small saucepan, and add the spices, herbs and orange peel. Bring to a boil, turn the heat right down down, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve or muslin, discard the bits and return the liquid to the pan.
Next make a caramel. Warm a small saucepan over a medium heat, pour in the sugar and leave it untouched until it begins to melt around the edges. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until the sugar crystals turn into a golden liquid, then continue cooking gently until the caramel turns a rich golden brown, similar in colour to pale ale. Take off the heat and leave to cool a little.
Reheat the infused wine to just below boiling point, then pour carefully over the caramel, stirring until dissolved. Add the rest of the wine and cider brandy, and stir well. Leave to cool, then pour into a sterilised bottle, seal and store in the fridge for up to two months. Serve neat over ice or use to make your own cocktails.
