Intro to La Copa Vermouth Gonzalez Byass – La Copa Vermouth made by Gonzalez Byass in Spain is produced from fine Oloroso and PX sherry soleras which are more than 8 years old and blended with a meticulous selection of the botanicals including wormwood, savory, clove, orange, cinnamon, nutmeg, angelica and cinchona bark is carried out, with the aim of achieving the perfect bitter-sweet, aromatic balance. Full tasting note and wine making – The proportion of botanicals used is a closely guarded secret, kept under lock and key in the winery. González Byass has revived the tradition of producing a vermouth using original recipes from their historic archives dating back to 1896. La Copa was one of the first brands registered by González Byass in 1884. Everything classic is being re-evaluated and coming back in to fashion and there is a global trend towards craft products. Today people appreciate small production, hand-crafted products, along with the revival of traditional products and production methods. Vermouth encompasses all of these values. It flourished and gained popularity with the art deco movement and later with the rise of pop art. Vermouth is extremely important in the world of cocktails. It is associated with elegance and the historical roots of many cocktail recipes. Today classic recipes, using Vermouth, such as Negroni, Manhattan and Dry Martini are prolific in New York, London and Berlin bars. In the south of Europe Vermouth is seen as the perfect aperitif, to whet your appetite and to be enjoyed with friends. In ancient Greece aromatic plants were mixed with wine for medicinal purposes. According to legend it was Hippocrates, the distinguished doctor and philosopher born in 460BC, who began to macerate flowers and herbs in wine to be used for therapeutic purposes. This became known as Hippocrates wine or simply herb wine. As of 1700 these wines became known as Vermouth, from the German word wermut and English word wemod, both derivatives of wormwood, the main ingredient in Vermouth. The Producer – The inventory books of González Byass show the existence of Vermouth in the inventory books of González Byass between 1896 and 1926. Firstly in the section of foreign wines and then as of 1909 included in the bottling business from various regions. Drink with – Serve chilled as an aperitif or with dessert that are richly sweet.
