Aldier

Carlos Gross, a hotelier in Sent in the Lower Engadine. From 2018 he made his own vermouth. Two versions came out of it, a fresh Bianco and a spicy Rosso. Since his death, his sons Gian and Nico have carried the project on, following their father's secret recipe.

In Sent, a mountain village in the Lower Engadine above Scuol, surrounded by Swiss stone pine forests with a wide view down the valley. The vermouth is made in the village's old bank. That is where Gian and Nico work from their father's recipe, by hand and in small batches. We stock both versions, Bianco and Rosso.

Aromatised wine. Aldier Bianco is based on white wine, the Rosso on red wine. Alpine herbs, wormwood and citrus peel go in, plus spices in the Rosso. The wormwood brings the typical bitter note. Aldier makes both by hand, in a limited number of bottles, and fills them in 0.7 litre bottles. The bottles carry no vintage. Bianco and Rosso cost CHF 35 each in our shop.

The Bianco is the fresh one: floral notes, fine spice and an elegant bitterness. The Rosso is spicier and deeper, with a rounded bitterness and a touch of natural sweetness. If you mostly drink vermouth as an aperitif on ice, start with the Bianco. If you like it bolder, go for the Rosso.

Neat and cold. The Bianco on ice with a slice of lemon, the Rosso on ice or simply lightly chilled. Both work as an aperitif before dinner. The Bianco shows citrus, blossom and its bitter note, the Rosso spice, depth and a gentle sweetness.

From the mountains around Sent. The village sits at about 1,440 metres in the canton of Grisons, and the climate is alpine: cold, snowy winters, sunny summers and big differences between day and night.