Markus and Nils from Hamburg love Spanish herbal wine. With HELMUT Vermouth, the pair produces a Nordic variety. The Hamburg original is available in red, white, and rosé.
A conversation with Markus and Nils from HELMUT Vermouth
Markus, how did you come up with the idea for HELMUT?
I lived in Barcelona for several years. That is where I experienced the Spanish way of life. I appreciate the country's culture, which includes the taste and unique characteristics of vermouth. Back in Germany, I missed the sun, the Spanish way of life, and vermouth wine. So, I had the idea for HELMUT. I spent two years developing the recipe and launched it in 2017. Shortly after, Nils joined the team. I had completely infected my long-time friend and colleague with the vermouth virus.
The diverse aroma of vermouth is inexhaustible.
What is it about vermouth that excites you both?
Our neighbors to the south know and appreciate vermouth for its intense flavor. It possesses an inexhaustible aromatic diversity. Actually, Germany also has a long vermouth tradition. Unfortunately, here, the spiced wine enjoys a rather poor reputation. We think, unjustly so! With fresh ingredients and high-quality wine, vermouth is a culinary enrichment. This is not comparable to industrialized mass-produced goods from the supermarket. Our premium vermouth is based on German wines. We want to revitalize the aperitif culture and help vermouth achieve new glory.
How is a HELMUT Vermouth created?
As a small vermouth manufacturer, we place special emphasis on natural ingredients and careful processing. Artificial additives are taboo for us. Every variety of HELMUT Vermouth contains 25 different ingredients. These include blossoms, herbs, fresh fruits, and select spices. We process them through elaborate manual labor. For at least six weeks, we steep them in neutral alcohol. We mix the macerates strictly according to the recipe to create an herbal tincture. Later, we combine them by hand with the wine.
Do you want to learn more about the production of vermouth? In our Vermouth Guide, we explain the differences between the varieties and much more.
We are revitalizing the aperitif culture.
What distinguishes your vermouth in terms of taste?
A particularly good vermouth is made from particularly good wine. The quality of the wine at HELMUT plays a decisive role. We perfectly match the herbs to the aromas of the wine without masking it. This gives HELMUT a unique character. It features a present wine note and a harmonious herbal note.
What makes HELMUT's character unmistakable?
The long maceration time combines with carefully selected ingredients. This gives HELMUT Vermouth a particularly intense and complex aroma. We use fresh products and vintage wines. Each production of HELMUT Vermouth can vary slightly in taste. Nevertheless, its character remains unmistakable.
We wanted a present wine note and a harmonious herbal note.
Where do you source your ingredients?
Our home city of Hamburg is the gateway to the world. It offers easy access to the best raw materials: from fresh fruits from the region to real Tahitian vanilla. The quality of the base wines also plays a decisive role. For this reason, we use exclusively selected wines from the Bergdolt-Reif & Nett winery in the Palatinate region.
What role does the region play for you?
Admittedly, it sounds strange at first: A vermouth from Hamburg with wines from the Palatinate. From the very beginning, we only wanted to use German wines for our HELMUT. Unfortunately, they are rare up here in the north. So, after a long search in the Palatinate, we found the right winery. We want to keep the production of the vermouth in our own hands as much as possible. To this day, we still produce the herbal tinctures in our hometown.
There is a lot of heart and soul in our HELMUT.
What plans do you have for the future?
Currently, we are investing a lot of time and heart and soul into our HELMUT. Compared to trendy spirits like gin and co., we are still in our infancy. We want to change that. And if everything goes well, we will eventually make a living with HELMUT.
What does a customer appreciate about HELMUT Vermouth?
We are happy about every customer we can get excited about the topic of vermouth with our HELMUT. What does that look like? No idea. But it often sounds something like this: Wow! That's vermouth?!
Herbal wine in rosé is a perfect summer drink.
Do you have a favorite product?
Yes and no! Which HELMUT—white, red, or rosé—we choose depends on the occasion, the time of day, and how it is served. Classically as an aperitif, HELMUT White is convincing on ice. As a spritz with tonic, the rosé is a perfect light summer drink. And those who prefer it a bit stronger in fruit with a bitter note will quickly end up with the red. In any case, it is worth trying every HELMUT.
How do you prefer to enjoy HELMUT?
As a classic aperitif, we recommend HELMUT neat, lightly chilled, or on ice. HELMUT White or Rosé is best with a thin lemon zest. A fresh orange or an olive in the glass goes well with HELMUT Red. But HELMUT also looks good as a long drink. For example, as a light spritz mixed with tonic water or ginger ale.
