kombu by candlelight | vermouth

i’ve had dreams for years of making a vermouth. i reminded myself of this recently as i came across long-forgotten notebooks back from my cooking days. they were full of mad scribbles, listing various potential flavor combinations of botanicals and aromatics; some good, some probably bad, some already widely used in such beverages, others outlandish and likely a terrible idea. upon finding these notebooks, i recalled a formative tasting experience, where an old friend poured a scotch for me that he rapid infused with kombu. this inevitably was the catalyst, immediately sparking the desire and idea of an “alchemist’s kitchen.” 

after months of blending trials, and test infusions to determine the best ratios and extraction rates for each individual plant, i finally landed on what you have before you. all told, there are 32 different botanicals in this final blend; some were grown by me, others foraged, and what i couldn’t find on my own were sourced from other local, organic growers.  

2025 release - made for pete duplissie-johnson, tufftalk and andy garrison