The Alchemist is In!

Today we were hiking up in the Berkeley Hills and I noticed, to my great delight, that the California Bay Laurels are starting to bloom. It seems that some monks in Italy have been making a laurel liqueur for years, using the Mediterranean bay laurel. The California bay laurel is a much stronger flavor, and is not often recommended for kitchen use, but I think that it might make a fine libation. So, if you happen to see me wandering around the woods this week picking tiny flowers off of trees, you will know what I am up to.

I am also working on a vermouth formula. I don't want to simply imitate one of the commercially available varieties, as the stuff is so cheap that there is no point to it. The goal is a good pre-prandial sip, with ample herbal notes in a simple wine base. I am shooting for a fairly low alcohol content, at least in comparison with other vermouths, but I want a little more bitterness as well. Or maybe not, as Melanie is not a big fan of bitter liqueurs like Campari and Cynar. So far I am looking at French rue, chamomile, angelica root, wormwood, anise, lovage, rosemary, orange zest, lavender, nettles, blackberry leaves, lemon balm, winter savory, calamint, and perhaps thyme. I am thinking of making extracts of each and then combining them with the wine base, so that if a formula does not work, I can adjust. Then, if I find something that is right, I will try a batch made with everything together.

The trick is to find a dry, thin white wine without too much fruit. Any suggestions?