Casa Mariol Vermut Negre

Just when you thought Jesse Gerner couldn’t get any busier, (Bomba Bar, Anada and the soon to be Green Park on the St Ali North site) he’s decided to put another feather in his trademark cap and exclusively import Casa Mariol Vermut Negre – a boutique Spanish aperitif that is destined to be the go to tipple for all your summer tapas needs.

Jesse and Shane Barrett, head sommelier at Bomba, recently packed their bags and set off to the Basque Country in Northern Spain to enlighten their minds through all things Spanish. And to drink. The boys had the opportunity to spend time with one of the exclusive Gastronomic Societies – groups of men dotted around the country, coming together to teach each other the intricacies of family recipes. These Gastronomic Societies (no women allowed!) have been in operation for just over a hundred years and not a great deal has changed since their inception, save for the addition of  commercial appliances to facilitate their kitchen genius.

Lucky for us, Jesse and Shane have returned with notebooks choca-block full of tips and recipes to share with the fine folk of Melbourne. Dishes like the ‘Tinned Tuna Montadido’ – fresh albacore tuna nestled down in a jar with sunflower oil, fennel seeds and garlic, or a simple mackerel dish flash fried with garlic and parsley are gracing the Bomba menu this Spring.

But the biggest find on this Spanish sojourn for Jesse and Shane was the Casa Mariol Vermut Negre. Delicately flavoured with over 100 botanicals (take that, gin), darkened with unripened green walnuts then blended and aged for six months. The bottle itself is a veritable process map of how best to enjoy this drink, instructing us to keep it simple – ice, soda, orange slice and a whacking great green olive to compliment the heavy notes of rosemary and cinnamon. Pure Basque in a glass.

Don’t fear, the only dark times ahead for Jesse come in the form of this richly coloured Vermut.

Casa Mariol Vermut Negre is available at Bomba Bar and Blackhearts and Sparrows (http://blackheartsandsparrows.com.au/)

Bomba Bar
103 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
(03) 9077 0451
bombabar.com.au