Gotha Spiriti Nobili "Drai - Vermouth Siderale" Bologna

750ml bottle

18% abv

Primary Botanicals: Caper berries, cucumber, lemon peel, Timut pepper, wormwood, sage, bay leaf, grapefruit peel
Botanical Source: Albania, Italy
Method of Production: Purified Adriatic seawater is married with wheat distillate, wine, and suger, then mixed with botanical distillations
Try this in a: Spritz, Corpse Reviver #2

One of the important differences between good vermouth and lesser bottlings is the quality of the base wine. Since vermouth is made mostly of wine this makes perfect sense. Drai is made using dry Zibibbo from Pantelleria (Zibibbo is a form of Muscat) as a base, so there is already a lot of flavor there before they even start adding botanical flavors. It also contains purified seawater from the Adriatic which is the body of water that separates Albania and Italy. He finds that the salt and other minerals enhance our perception of the other flavors. Other botanicals include wormwood (the ingredient that gives vermouth its name), fresh caper berries (from Pantelleria), cucumber, lemon peel, Timut pepper, sage, bay leaf, and grapefruit peel. 

The method: pure water, purified sea water, pure alcohol (derived from wheat), wine, and sugar are mixed together; to this base are added individual distillations of caper berries, cucumber, lemon peel, and Timut pepper. (All of these distillations are made by macerating the ingredient in a solution of alcohol for 24 hours, then distilling the result to 60% alcohol by volume.) Then infusions of wormwood, sage leaf, bay leaf and grapefruit peel are added, each infusion being carried out using a 50% alcohol solution for about 10 days. The resulting complete mixture is left to rest for 45 days, filtered, and bottled. This vermouth contains no caramel or other coloring. 

As with all of the Gotha products the name of this vermouth combines historical and contemporary inspiration. ’Drai’ is an old italianized form of the word ‘dry’, as there is no ‘y’ in the standard Italian alphabet.’ And ‘Siderale’ roughly translates to ‘of the stars’ and is the initial impression of the label designer (Riccardo). He thought it was like nothing he had tasted before, almost extraterrestrial, and resulted in his addition of the UFO to the label. 

Gotha Spiriti Nobili is a small producer of fine spirits based in Bologna. It is the creation of Ergin Allko, a bartender and bar proprietor who emigrated from Albania to Italy when he was 18 years old to study in the university town. At the time of Gotha’s launch Ergin also had also lived in Italy for 18 years, and his spirits are very much influenced by his connection to both. To start the company he partnered with his brother Donald, and friends Umberto Menna and Riccardo Francesco de Campagnoli. Their first product was Menegiks Gin, their second Drai vermouth; both are excellent, and we are delighted to be importing these thoughtfully made artisanal spirits. 

‘Gotha’ is a German term used all over Europe which translates to ‘best in category’, and we certainly do not disagree.  There has been an explosion of small spirits companies in Italy in the last few years, but few of these producers have Ergin’s touch for blending flavors and creating balance.

Notes from the importer:

One of the important differences between good vermouth and lesser bottlings is the quality of the base wine. Since vermouth is made mostly of wine this makes perfect sense. Drai is made using dry Zibibbo from Pantelleria (Zibibbo is a form of Muscat) as a base, so there is already a lot of flavor there before they even start adding botanical flavors. It also contains purified seawater from the Adriatic which is the body of water that separates Albania and Italy. He finds that the salt and other minerals enhance our perception of the other flavors. Other botanicals include wormwood (the ingredient that gives vermouth its name), fresh caper berries (from Pantelleria), cucumber, lemon peel, Timut pepper, sage, bay leaf, and grapefruit peel.

Pure water, purified sea water, pure alcohol, wine, and sugar are mixed together; to this base are added individual distillations of caper berries, cucumber, lemon peel, and Timut pepper. Then infusions of wormwood, sage leaf, bay leaf and grapefruit peel are added, each infusion being carried out using a 50% alcohol solution for about 10 days. The resulting complete mixture is left to rest for 45 days, filtered, and bottled. This vermouth contains no caramel or other coloring.