Nearly’s new vermouth is a neighbourly affair
We’re calling it: the new vermouth from the team behind West End bar Nearly and the ex-head winemaker at Shaw and Smith is the sip of the summer. Perfect neat or in a spritz.
For the past year-and-a-half, four Adelaide neighbours have been mixing aromatics at home in a bid to craft the perfect vermouth.
Now, after an evolution over 13 versions, the group is ready to unleash their creation onto the world.
It’s called Equal Parts Vermouth and was developed by Nearly owner Tom Paxton, his partner and artist Cécile Gariépy, former Shaw and Smith head winemaker Matt Large and his partner and ceramicist Bridget Saville.
“We literally met while cutting our hedge out the front of the house,” says Matt, who now runs his own wine label called Praeter.
“I was aggressively making friends,” says Tom.
The idea of making vermouth started out as a “pipe dream” according to Tom, but after a bit of research they realised it might be possible.
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On weekends over the next few months, the team studied aromatics in pursuit of the perfect blend.
The process of making vermouth begins with a base wine. In Equal Parts’ case, this is a floral Pinot Noir Rosé from Tasmania. From there, one macerates aromatics with a house blend of brandy spirit, selected for its perfume properties.
You’re left with a “really intense aromatic liquid” which is blended into the wine.
Equal Parts Vermouth: great on the rocks, even better with a slice of orange.Also added is the star of the show, pomegranate juice, which was picked for its colour to give the final product a vibrant red, as well as its balance of sweet and bitter flavours.
CityMag enjoyed a sneaky sip of the vermouth ahead of an official launch party for Equal Parts on November 2 at Nearly.
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The drop straddles the fine line between bitter and sweet that the best vermouths manage. The base wine shines through but doesn’t overshadow the care put into the selection of aromatics and the slight pomegranate flavour.
It makes for an easy drink on the rocks, but is just as delicious in a spritz, making it the ideal sip for the warmer weather.
“You’ve got the dry vermouth. You’ve got sweet vermouth. There’s vermouths that are quite bitter and in the digestif territory. You can go anywhere from sweet to savoury, bitter, aromatic, everywhere in between,” says Matt.
“We knew that we wanted something that was enjoyable to share amongst friends, and felt a little bit fun and delicious. Something that could bridge the gap between being able to be drunk and really appreciating the aromatics and the detail that’s in the drink.”
The label was designed by Cécile, who is also responsible for the interior design at Nearly. It features four squiggles and four dots representing the pomegranates, the four mates who made the vermouth, and the ‘equal parts’.
“Cécile is an amazing and very successful illustrator, so we’re very lucky to have her involved,” says Matt.
The first run of Equal Parts is about 750 bottles, and will be available to try at Nearly but also sold online.
If you want to be one of the first in Adelaide to try Equal Parts, Nearly is throwing a launch party on Saturday November 2 from 4 pm.
There, the drink will be served in multiple ways, including in some cocktails specially designed by Nearly bartender Alex. There will also be a free BBQ – Bunnings-style.
“Hopefully Equal Parts spritz becomes the tagline of the summer,” says Matt.
“It’s a Spritz Girl Summer!” says Bridget.