Our vermouth started from leftover grape skins from an Okanagan Syrah wine. The grape skins were then acquired by Uncommon Cidery (our collaboration and friends) and were fermented in with an apple cider. After the cider was produced, the grape skins were then sent our way. At Confluence we re-fermented the grape skins and then distilled them into a grappa spirit.
We took the grappa and blended it into the Uncommon Syrah Cider, fortifying the cider. Once fortified, we added in botanicals such as wormword, ginger, grapefruit and sage and let them macerate in the spirit for weeks.
What resulted was this amazing dry vermouth that has a mouth-watering apple aroma, dry wine flavor with a herbal bitter finish.
Our White Hat Negroni was the first cocktail we made with our dry vermouth and it immediately swept us off our feet! It's based off of the recipe for a classic White Negroni, but we substituted the ingredient Suze with our Dry Vermouth. I dubbed it "White Hat Negroni" because of it's Calgarian roots and our quirky local custom of the White Hat Awards. The White hat awards honour citizens of our city that have contributed to the tourism industry in Calgary creating a legacy or positive change that enhances our city's culture. So... I guess in a way, I self-awarded our vermouth with a white hat.
The Cocktail
1 oz Altered State Gin
1 oz Lillet Blanc
1 oz Dry Cider Vermouth
Add all ingredients into a mixing jar with ice, and stir for 20 seconds. Add new ice into a rocks glass. Strain liquid into the glass.
Express lemon zest oils over the drink and on the rim. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Level it up: Best served with a king ice cube.
Just like a negroni, this cocktail has a powerful flavour marked by a sweet start and a bitter finish. It's boozy but a bit lighter than a classic negroni. Our Altered State Gin perfectly complements the flavours and drives the Calgary-made cocktail home.
Enjoy this very Calgary experience brought to you by Confluence Distilling!
