Coffee vermouth is the ingredient with Italian heritage you didn’t know your Negroni was missing. Compared to the in-your-face punch of using full-force java to flavor drinks (looking at you, espresso martini), coffee vermouth adds gentle, nuanced espresso tones. That’s because the beans are treated like a botanical, steeped alongside spices and other traditional flavorings found in vermouth.
One Italian creation blends vermouth with an extract made from Indonesian coffee beans that are dark-roasted in Naples. The bottling was inspired by the founder's childhood memories of tiramisu, for which his nonna bathed ladyfinger cookies in espresso and bianco vermouth, before adding a layer of rich, creamy mascarpone.
Meanwhile, in Naples, another distiller arrived at a similar flavor profile. The product takes its name from the “caffé sospeso,” or “suspended coffee,” a century-old pay-it-forward tradition that began in Naples cafes, where a patron purchases two coffees, one for themself and one for another person who can’t afford a coffee.
The bottling incorporates coffee in two ways: Green coffee beans are infused into fortified moscato, which is blended with a coffee distillate made with roasted beans from Brazil, Colombia and Jamaica.
While the Italian versions are not readily available in the U.S., bartenders here have been making coffee-infused vermouth for years.
Make It Yourself Coffee-Brewed Vermouth
Vermouth can be infused with coffee using virtually any brewing method, - moka pot, French press, pour-over or drip. Once the vermouth brews through the beans, it’s done. It can also be made cold-brew style, steeping the beans and vermouth overnight.
Ingredients
- 25 grams (about ¼ cup) espresso beans
- 240 ml (about 1 cup) sweet vermouth
Instructions
Brew coffee using the sweet vermouth in place of water. Allow to cool to room temperature before mixing into cocktails with ice, like a Negroni.
