HELMUT the Red. Red vermouth based on Palatinate Dornfelder – berry-forward, tart and spicy, 17% ABV.
HELMUT the Red is a red vermouth from Helmut Wermut in Hamburg, produced in the Palatinate region. The 750 ml bottle contains 75% Palatinate wine based on bold Dornfelder and 25% handmade extracts of 25 fruits, herbs, and spices, 17% ABV. Not a lightweight, not a vermouth for delicate palates – a red with edge and character.
The Red from Helmut Wermut is a vermouth, meaning it is an aromatized wine. The base is wine, to which extracts of herbs, fruits, and spices macerated in alcohol are added. In this way, the wine is simultaneously seasoned and fortified with alcohol. The vermouth gets its name from wormwood (*Wermut*). At HELMUT, the ratio is three to one: 75% wine from the Palatinate, 25% handmade herbal and fruit extracts. Saturday evening, the guests are still in the kitchen, dinner needs ten minutes. You put ice in a glass, pour the Red over it, and add a slice of orange. The start of the evening needs nothing more. Of the three varieties from the Hamburg-based producer, the Red is the most robust; the makers call it the charismatic type with rough edges.
Taste
The Red tastes of ripe blackberries, spicy bay leaf, and rosemary, carried by tart herbs. The producer sums it up in three words: tart herb, robust taste.
The glass first reveals dark berry fruit. According to Helmut Wermut, the infusion also includes raspberries and cherries alongside blackberries, giving the Red its berry-forward side. Then come the herbs: bay leaf and rosemary bring their spicy notes to the glass. Underlying this is the wine, a cuvée based on robust Dornfelder from the Bergdolt-Reif & Nett winery. The strength of this wine supports the herbal tartness rather than being overpowered by it.
In total, every bottle contains 25 ingredients. You won't pick them out individually; together they create the profile of a spicy, berry-forward red with noticeable bite. Helmut Wermut describes it as a bold vermouth for courageous palates. That hits the mark: The Red is the most distinctive of the three varieties. If you prefer floral and light, reach for HELMUT the White with orange blossom and lavender. If you are looking for the exotic, piquant side, you will find it in HELMUT the Rosé with paprika and physalis.
Usage
The Red works neat, on ice, as a long drink, and in classic cocktails with a vermouth base. To get to know it, the producer recommends it neat and without ice, so you can taste the herbs and fruit in their purest form.
As a classic aperitif, it is served ice-cold in a glass, refined with fresh orange or an olive. For the summer, there is the HELMUT Spritz Red. For this, pour 5 cl of the Red over ice, topped with 5 to 10 cl of ginger ale, and add fresh mint. The ginger in the ale picks up the spice of the bay leaf and rosemary, while the mint makes the glass refreshing.
In a cocktail, the Red shows what it was built for. According to the producer, it pairs well with classics like the Negroni and Manhattan. For the HELMUT Negroni, stir 3 cl of HELMUT the Red, 3 cl of red bitter aperitif, and 3 cl of gin in a mixing glass with plenty of ice until cold. Then strain it into a tumbler over fresh ice and add an orange zest. You can find the full recipe on our HELMUT Negroni page. If you like bourbon, try the Boulevard-yeah!: 3 cl each of the Red, bourbon, and a fruity grapefruit aperitif, stirred cold and served with an orange zest over ice.
Our tip: Keep the opened bottle upright in the refrigerator. This ensures HELMUT is always at drinking temperature, and according to the producer, it will last a year or longer. Over time, the color and taste may change slightly due to oxidation.
Origin
The Red comes from Helmut Wermut, a small vermouth manufacturer in Hamburg; production takes place in the Palatinate. It was founded by Markus Weiß, who became acquainted with the local vermouth culture during a multi-year stay in Barcelona.
Back in Germany, he wanted to create a modern German vermouth: handmade, with domestic herbs and regional wines that you can actually taste. Vermouth had a rather poor reputation here, and he wanted to change that. After two years of recipe development, during which around 80 herbs were tested, HELMUT launched at the end of 2017. The name was chosen deliberately as quintessentially German, with a wink. Today, Markus Weiß runs the company together with Olina Kladensky.
Each variety has its own wine cuvée from the Bergdolt-Reif & Nett winery in Duttweiler, Palatinate; for the Red, it is the Dornfelder-based cuvée. The 25 ingredients are prepared by hand—peeled, cut, ground, or plucked—and then macerated in alcohol for at least five weeks. Afterward, they are carefully pressed or centrifuged. The finished tincture is blended with the wine in the Palatinate and bottled there. The producer works exclusively with real herbs and fruits; artificial additives are taboo. According to the manufacturer, HELMUT is vegan. Because the vermouth is only gently filtered, natural sediments may appear in the bottle.
For whom
HELMUT the Red is the vermouth for anyone who stirs their own Negroni and is looking for a red vermouth with character for the task. It suits hosts who like to serve an aperitif on ice before a meal, and it makes a great gift for people who enjoy trying new things at the bar.
If you want to sample all three varieties first, start with the HELMUT 3-Mini-Sampler Box. You can read more about the makers in our interview with Helmut Wermut, and you can find all bottles on our Helmut Wermut page. The Red contains sulfites; sale is permitted to persons aged 18 and over. HELMUT the Red is not suitable for those expecting a mild, floral aperitif – it is tart, spicy, and meant to be discovered.
Dornfelder from the Palatinate, 25 ingredients, and plenty of herbs – the red vermouth from Helmut Wermut for an aperitif on ice or a Negroni on a Saturday night.
