Carpano Antica Vermouth on Tap at Sable Kitchen and Bar

By Anthony Todd in Food on Dec 9, 2011 8:00PM

As if we needed another reason to go to Sable Kitchen and Bar. Chef Heather Terhune, is rocking the kitchen on Top Chef, they were recently named to Food and Wine's 50 Best Bar's list and their mixologist, Mike Ryan was robbed (by .3%!) of Eater's best bartender title; it's a wonder we can get in the door. Despite all that, they're not resting on their laurels. Quietly, a couple months ago, a new tap appeared behind the bar. A Carpano Antica vermouth tap.

Booze and wines on tap is a growing trend. It seems like every new restaurant concept these days announces that they will have something not-beer on tap: wine on tap, champagne on tap, cocktails on tap. But this is the first time we've seen vermouth on tap. There's a reason: Nowhere else in Chicago seems to have it.

Ryan told us that, while it's not the first vermouth on tap in America, it's the first Carpano Antica tap in the U.S. Carpano Antica, an Italian vermouth that is a favorite ingredient of high-end mixologists, has seen a surge in popularity in the past few years. It's herbal, a tiny bit sweet (but not cloying) and tastes wonderful. And if anyone was going to serve it on tap, it would be Ryan.

Ryan is something of an evangelist for vermouth. We remember the very first time we walked into Sable, before it opened. We were a bit shocked to hear a 10-minute speech on choosing the right vermouths and storing them properly. After tasting his reverse Manhattan, which changes around the normal proportions of vermouth and whiskey, we were converts.

Does anyone order the stuff? Ryan says:

"People do order it, but mostly after some gentle urging on our part. The whole idea is to be drinking something refreshing that is a bit lighter, and good for you (vermouth was originally medicine, after all.) In addition to urging people to try their Martini properly made with a sufficient quantity of good, fresh dry vermouth (and gin, natch) we're always suggesting some vermouth-based cocktails before dinner, or after dinner, of if you've had a couple and want to keep drinking but don't want to end up under the table."

Cheers to that.

Sable Kitchen and Bar is located at 505 N. State St.