Alcohol: 16%
Plant(s): 30 to 40 spices and botanicals are used to make our famous Dolin red vermouth: coriander, hyssop, rhubarb, and curacao are just some of those in our closely-guarded secret recipe.
Localization: Chambéry, Savoy, France
Tasting Notes: This vermouth has a lustrous coppery color, gentle aromas of fruit compote, of prunes and walnuts with grassy notes, tempered by spicy aromas like Szechwan pepper... then aromas of almond, citrus, pear and cinnamon with gingerbread, tobacco, oregano and hyssop notes. This very rich bouquet is tempered by a subtle bitter base wine.
Notes: Dolin's red vermouth has a very long history, punctuated with many prizes and awards. It's unchanged recipe is one of our treasures.
Drinks pairing: This French vermouth can be served as an aperitif on ice, a traditional before-dinner drink in France but can also be a tasty ingredient in many cocktails, such as the famed Negroni and Manhattan. Try to make the following cocktails recipes:
HARVARD: 30ml Dolin red vermouth, 30ml Merlet Brothers Blend, 1 dash orange bitters. Pour the vermouth, cognac and bitters into a mixing glass filled with ice. Mix. Pour into a chilled coupette glass and garnish with an orange slice.
EL CAPITAN: 40ml Dolin red vermouth, 20ml Pisco Quatro Gallos Italia, 1 dash aromatic bitters. Pour the vermouth, pisco and bitters into a mixing glass filled with ice. Mix. Pour into a chilled coupette glass and garnish with an orange slice.
The Domain: The story of Dolin reads like a novel. From Joseph Chavasse to the Sevez family and including, of course, the famous Marie Dolin, meet the personalities who have forged the history of our distillery and learn of the many challenges they had to overcome to bring you these famous drinks from Chambery today.
1814 ONCE UPON A TIME IN SAVOY… Joseph Chavasse was 24 years old when he moved to Les Echelles. He had learned the art of confectionery-making in Grenoble from Joseph Salviani, whose daughter he married. Confectionery-making is one method for preserving fruit aromas, but Joseph had a greater affinity for another: distillation. Inspired by the liquors produced by the monks at the nearby Grande Chartreuse monastery, he laid the foundation stone of his distillery. Hard-working and inventive, he had soon filled his notebook with various recipes, the fruit of his research and experiments.
1821 IDEAS APLENTY: Joseph Chavasse produced many liquors made with the Alpine plants. Inquisitive by nature, he also liked to travel and, as it turned out, the new coach service between Chambery and Turin passed right through Les Echelles. In Turin, Joseph saw that the liquor-makers were developing new beverages that appealed to the local population. The Turin liquor-makers called them "vermouth". Impressed by these beverages, Joseph decided to create his own vermouth recipe. He did not yet know that his distillery would become famous for it.
1840 A FAMILY AFFAIR: After Joseph Chavasse’s death, his daughter Marie married a Chambéry local, Louis-Ferdinand Dolin. The latter took a keen interest in the distillery, which he bought in 1852. He gave it his name associated with that of its flagship product: "Vermouth Dolin". At the time, Vermouth was becoming increasingly popular in Paris, where this "stimulating beverage" was much appreciated, so much so that other Savoyard distilleries attempted to create their own versions. Awards and certificates started pouring in ...
1870 MARIE THE BOLD! When Ferdinand Dolin died in 1869, his wife Marie took control of the company. She would give it international acclaim. Marie Dolin was also convinced of the great potential of the vermouth and she thought big! In 1876, she crossed the Atlantic to present her “Vermouth de Chambéry” at the World Fair in Philadelphia. And she obtained a gold medal for it! This was the consecration, an unprecedented recognition for Dolin’s vermouth, and it would be followed by a raft of other medals...
1910 THE TURNING POINT Vermouth Dolin was at the height of its popularity and being exported to England and the United States, but the dark shadow of the First World War was looming on the horizon and it would bring these halcyon days to an end... In 1919, the Dolin family fell victim to the ravages of the war and was mourning premature deaths in the family. The distillery was sold to family friends, the brothers Charles and Joseph Sevez, respected grocers in Chambéry. At the start of the Roaring Twenties, the brothers would give the company a new lease of life...
1960 MEANWHILE, IN NEW YORK… As well as the white and the red Vermouths, still very popular in the United States, The Dolin range included dry vermouth, a less sweet version particularly suitable for the cocktails that were becoming all the rage on the other side of the Atlantic. According to Pierre Sevez, the Chambéry vermouth "so little known in the Savoie region, is a messenger which carries the name of its birthplace far".
1980 WHITE GOLD CREATES A NEW DEMAND This was at a time when ski resorts were popping up throughout the Alps. Winter sports became extremely popular and the restaurateurs would have the skiers try the authentic mountain liquors with preserved flavors offered by Dolin. Bernard Sevez, who succeeded Pierre, recruited Ariane Aimard in 1980. Ariane, who is still the guarantor of Dolin savoir-faire today, took over the technical management from Jean-Louis and was joined a few years later by Jean-Luc Scapolan on the general management side.
2000 DOLIN AROUND THE WORLD In 2001, Jean-Luc Scapolan took over the management of the company, succeeding his brother-in-law. Passionate about the business, he continued to focus on the products that had been the bright stars in Dolin’s history. His hard work and tenacity were rewarded. The growth of exports outside Europe proved that he had taken the right decisions. By the time he retired, the 50 countries where Dolin was distributed were driving the business’s exceptional growth.