Tsutsumi Bermutto Sweet Sake Vermouth 720ml

Tsutsumi Shuzo has been distilling shochu in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture for nearly 150 years, based in the Hitoyoshi Basin along the Kuma River in Kyushu. The distillery is one of only 28 producers certified by the World Trade Organization as an authentic Kuma Shochu maker, a designation comparable to protected status held by Scotch or Cognac. Known for pushing tradition forward, Tsutsumi also produces sherry cask aged shochu, and this bottling marks the brand's contemporary take on vermouth, a category with no prior history in Japan.

Bermutto begins with a Junmai sake base, made purely from rice, water, yeast, and koji, then fortified with 100% rice shochu rather than the neutral spirit typically used in European vermouth. The sweet expression is infused with five botanicals, including yomogi (Japanese mugwort) as its primary bittering agent, along with yuzu, kabosu, sansho peppercorn, and ume, before being sweetened with raw cane sugar from Okinawa. It's bottled at 18% ABV.

Expect aromas of stewed cherry, orange peel, brown sugar, and wood spice. The palate is bright and acidic, with kabosu and yomogi lending black tea and tart cherry notes, while ume contributes a subtle marzipan quality reminiscent of umeshu. Use it in place of sweet vermouth in a Negroni or Manhattan, or pour it over ice with a citrus twist.