HELMUT der Weiße. White vermouth made from Riesling and Müller-Thurgau – floral, fresh, and refined, 17% vol.
HELMUT der Weiße is a white vermouth from Helmut Wermut in Hamburg, produced in the Palatinate region. It consists of 75% Palatinate cuvée made from Riesling and Müller-Thurgau and 25% handcrafted extracts of 25 ingredients. It has 17% vol, 750 ml. Not a heavy herbal liqueur, not a bitter – a bright, floral aperitif.
Der Weiße by Helmut Wermut is a vermouth, which is to say an aromatized wine. The base is wine, to which extracts of herbs, blossoms, fruits, and spices are added, infused in alcohol. This makes vermouth both spiced and fortified with alcohol. The drink gets its name from wormwood (*Wermut*). Many people associate vermouth with a dusty bottle from a home bar and a bitter, heavy taste. HELMUT has set out specifically to counter this reputation. Der Weiße demonstrates this most clearly: it smells of orange blossom and lavender, tastes light and fresh, and, according to its makers, has only a few bitter notes. Of the three varieties, it is the most refined and a good entry point for those who have previously avoided vermouth.
Taste
Der Weiße tastes of the mild sweetness of orange blossom, lavender, and fresh meadow herbs. The producer describes it briefly: fine herbs, exquisite taste.
According to Helmut Wermut, the infusion includes orange blossoms and acacia blossoms, lavender, vanilla, and other floral ingredients. The blossoms define the scent, while the meadow herbs add freshness. The base is a delicately fruity cuvée of Riesling and Müller-Thurgau from the Bergdolt-Reif & Nett winery. This wine supports the blossoms rather than overpowering them.
Like every HELMUT variety, Der Weiße is composed of 25 ingredients. The result is an elegant vermouth that the manufacturer recommends for delicate palates. The bitterness that usually characterizes vermouth is very much in the background here. Compared to HELMUT der Rote with blackberry, bay leaf, and rosemary, Der Weiße is light, floral, and restrained. If you are expecting a strong, tart vermouth for a Negroni, you are better off choosing the red.
Usage
Der Weiße is an aperitif for the early evening, enjoyed neat, on ice, or as a long drink with tonic. To get to know it, the producer suggests drinking it neat and without ice so that the floral notes can fully emerge.
As a classic aperitif, pour it ice-cold into a glass and add a thin lemon zest. The lemon lifts the orange blossom and makes the sip fresher. For warm days, there is the HELMUT Spritz Weiß. For this, pour 5 cl of HELMUT der Weiße over ice, top with 5 to 10 cl of tonic water, and garnish with a lemon zest. The tonic provides the bitterness that the white version itself lacks, keeping the long drink light.
Der Weiße also cuts a fine figure in cocktails. For the "HELMUT makes blue," shake 4 cl of HELMUT der Weiße, 2 cl of Williams pear brandy, 3 cl of fresh lemon juice, and 2 cl of egg white with ice in a shaker. Then strain into an old-fashioned glass over ice. Top with 3 bar spoons of blueberry syrup, a hint of blueberry powder, and a pear slice for decoration. The HELMUT Blossom combines the white version with orange liqueur, gin, lemon, egg white, and a syrup made from chamomile tea, garnished with dried chamomile flowers.
Our tip: Keep the open bottle upright in the refrigerator. This way, Der Weiße is immediately at the right drinking temperature for a spritz, and according to the producer, it will keep for a year or more once opened. Over time, the color and taste may change slightly due to oxidation.
Origin
Der Weiße comes from Helmut Wermut in Hamburg and is produced in the Palatinate. The brand was founded by Markus Weiß, who discovered and came to appreciate vermouth culture during a multi-year stay in Barcelona.
His idea: a modern German vermouth, handmade, from local herbs and regional wines that you can actually taste. After two years of recipe development with around 30 revisions, HELMUT launched at the end of 2017. The strictly German name was chosen intentionally, with a contemporary wink. Today, Markus Weiß and Olina Kladensky run the company together.
The wine is supplied by the Bergdolt-Reif & Nett winery in Duttweiler, Palatinate, with a custom cuvée for each variety. For Der Weiße, it is the cuvée of Riesling and Müller-Thurgau. The 25 ingredients are prepared by hand in Hamburg—peeled, cut, ground, or plucked. They then infuse in alcohol for at least five weeks and are carefully pressed or centrifuged. In the Palatinate, the tincture is then combined with the wine and bottled. Helmut Wermut works exclusively with real herbs and fruits; artificial additives are taboo for the producer. According to the manufacturer, HELMUT is vegan, as no animal-based fining agents are used in either the wine or the tincture. Because HELMUT is only gently filtered, natural suspended matter may appear in the bottle. This is intentional, as the producer notes that full filtration would cost the drink its flavor and character.
For whom
Der Weiße is the vermouth for anyone looking for a light, floral aperitif who doesn't care much for bitterness. It goes well with a summer evening on the balcony, a garden party reception, or as a gift for people who enjoy trying new things in their glass.
If you want to get to know the exotic, spicy side of HELMUT, try the HELMUT der Rosé with bell pepper and physalis. If you still have to choose between the varieties, start with the HELMUT 3-piece mini tasting box, which contains all three varieties in small bottles. You can find all full-sized bottles on our Helmut Wermut page. Der Weiße contains sulfites; sale permitted from age 18. It is not suitable for those looking for a strongly bitter vermouth with dark fruit – that is what the red is for.
Orange blossom, lavender, and Palatinate Riesling – the white vermouth from Helmut Wermut for a light aperitif or a spritz with tonic.
