Is there anything Dave Verheul can’t do? For most people, heading the kitchen at Embla – maybe the essential Melbourne restaurant – would be more than enough. But no, the guy has gone and thrown himself at vermouth and liqueur production and totally blown it out of the water. He launched his Saison label late in 2020, and it has gone from strength to strength, shining a new light on apéritifs with a seasonally-minded, ingredient-driven approach. You’ll feel that freshness and vitality in his blissfully bittersweet Spring Rhubarb Vermouth and the wildly fragrant Summer Flowers Vermouth, both brilliant ways to channel the spirit of a sunny day in the depths of winter.
Among the latest weapons in his growing arsenal is the Artichoke Vin Amaro, a rather scintillating interpretation of Cynar with boatloads of complexity that has been upgraded from a 500ml to 700ml format. Why? Because it’s just that delicious. A base of Victorian moscato gives it a floral undertone, but what really leaps out here is the scrubby, vegetal flavour of organic globe artichokes, as well as wild lavender and thistles and a squeeze of Meyer lemon. Holy heck. Soda or tonic make good mates with it, but there are just so many layers that you’ll probably want to keep sipping it slowly over ice. Or maybe not so slowly…