Skip to main contentMost nights, you'll find Portland bartender Neil Kopplin in a dapper suit vest and tie, serving up specialty cocktails to Portland's pretty young things at celebrated downtown gastropub Clyde Common.
But recently, he's been spending his nights at suburban supermarkets, trying to persuade housewives to sample a drink most people associate with their grandparents.
This isn't one of those recession sob stories. Kopplin's peddling Imbue, his own brand of vermouth—an herbal-infused fortified wine best known for its minor role in martinis and, yes, as your granny's favorite after-dinner tipple.
But Kopplin is out to change Portlanders' perception of vermouth—one shopper at a time.
Imbue is a collaboration with longtime friends and winemakers Jennifer Kilfoil and Derek Einberger. Starting with a Willamette Valley pinot gris, Einberger and Kopplin then barrel-aged some Oregon brandy and embarked on the long trial-and-error process of experimenting with dozens of different herbs and flavor combinations until they nailed their goal: "Make something delicious."
And make something delicious they have. The drink has a strong, tart punch at the back of the palate, but an overriding sweetness and wonderful spicy apple aroma that makes it easy to sip on its own. It's vastly more flavorful than a dry vermouth, and infinitely more drinkable than a red—it's a new style they've dubbed a "bittersweet vermouth."
In addition to many local bars and specialty stores, Imbue has been picked up by New Seasons, where Kopplin has been doing in-store demos to show regular folk that, as he puts it: "This is not your grandmother's vermouth."
And it seems to be working, with 70 percent of the drink's sales now coming from the retail market.
"Getting people [used] to the idea vermouth can be drinkable is a large undertaking," says Kopplin. "Most people's reaction is, 'Wow, that's vermouth?!"
Buy Imbue at New Seasons and some local liquor stores; find more info at imbuecellars.com. Neil Kopplin will host a "locavore" Booze and Brunch class at Irving Street Kitchen with bartender Brandon Wise noon-2 pm Saturday, Jan. 22. Visit irvingstreetkitchen.com for reservations and info.
WWeek 2015