Vermut Celestial

A red vermouth with an ethereal edge. Eucalyptus and mint come first, followed by thyme, rosemary, fennel, anise and liquorice. Bitter orange and grapefruit keep it fresh, while cinnamon and clove add warmth. A medicinal note of sage candy and caramel runs through it, followed by raisins, dates, liquorice, dark chocolate and cocoa butter. Black pepper, juniper berry and cranberry round off the finish.

The base comes from the Ribera del Duero, from the small family bodega MN Vinos in the heart of Pedrosa de Duero, where the Rodero-Calderari family has been making wine for generations. The vermouth is bottled by After The Misa Wachisnais.

The base is Tempranillo, known as Tinto Fino in the Ribera del Duero. The team macerates it with 37 botanicals: wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium) forms the bitter backbone, orange and lemon peel bring freshness, cardamom and star anise add depth, and thyme and rosemary contribute the Mediterranean note. For the Celestial, the red tintorro ages for nine months in oak barrel before being blended with Rita Hetvin, a sweet wine from the same bodega, whose barrels have more than six years of service behind them.

Rich with plenty of grip, along with cocoa butter, dark chocolate and amarena cherry. Fruity and light-footed, silky and clear, well balanced and full-bodied. The long finish leaves speculoos and gingerbread behind.

Pan-seared duck liver with speculoos crumble and quince jelly, warm raisin cake with almond ice cream, or chocolate parfait with warm amarena cherries and meringue.

In Burgos, "wachisnais" refers to anything that tastes delicious and whose name you can no longer recall. Paco, Noe and Juan Pablo turned this into a whole programme, elevating the vermouth hour after Sunday mass into a business called After The Misa. The makers drink it neat, on ice. 15.5% vol.