Sutton Cellars Vermouth - This Is For Straight Spring Drinking

I met Carl Sutton (pictured in a recent New York Times article which you can read here) at Alembic Bar on Haight St. about six months ago while I was in one night to B.S. with Daniel Hyatt about booze.  Carl was sitting there drinking some delicious vermouth, wearing a flannel with a wool cap.  I had no idea who he was, but he asked if wanted to sample his new product and, me being me, of course I obliged him.  "This isn't for mixing!" I stated, both asking and declaring simultaniously.  Daniel then told me he was planning to pour it on tap and serve it in mini carafes with their lunch menu.  The flavors are perfect for that kind of food pairing.  It's dry, with the almost austere profile that manzanilla drinkers die for, but with loads of orange peel and clove spice.  I had heard of the famed Sunday afternoons in Spain where locals go to their neighborhood cafe and drink dry, almost sherry-like vermouth on tap before heading off to do their weekend shopping.  Alembic was taking one more step towards becoming a serious permanent hang-out for me and my wannabe-Mediterranean lifestyle.  "You should let me sell this," I told Carl and he agreed by giving me his card.  Now that Spring has come, and Carl has manufactured enough of his delicious drink to supply the K&L customer demand, we finally have it on the shelf.  Go to the store, get some olives, some cheese, some bread, and a can of mixed nuts, make a buffet, and open a bottle of Sutton Cellars Vermouth.  It gets you excited about the sunshine and it makes you happy to be alive.

-David Driscoll