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Noilly Prat

The Italian Antonio Benedetto Carpano (1751-1815) has the honour of having invented and named the Vermouth and gave it the name that later became known as the Punt e mes brand. But the credit for the first dry Vermouth goes to the Frenchman Joseph Noilly. The herb specialist produced many different fragrant drinks and liquids in his scent laboratory in Marseille, from absinthe to eau de cologne. In 1813, he developed the recipe for a dry Vermouth and began to produce it in small quantities. His son Louis Noilly (+1865) founded the Noilly company in Marseille and, supported by his son-in-law Claudius Prat (+1859), began to market Vermouth worldwide.

Noilly Prat - Werk in Marseillan und drei Flaschen

In 1850, storage cellars were built in the port town of Marseillan in the south of France (Hérault), where production has taken place ever since. Prat then became a partner in 1855 and the company now traded under the name Noilly Prat & Cie. After the death of the two partners, the widow Anne-Rosine Prat took over the management with the support of her sons. From the 1870s, the drink conquered the markets in France and the USA. Today, the company is run by the family descendant François Bonnardel, but is under the control of the Italian vermouth house Martini & Rossi.

Even today, this Vermouth, known as the "Original French Dry", is produced according to the old successful recipe. The basis is formed by two white wines from southern France made from the Piquepoul Blanc and Clairette varieties. The wines are first stored in the cellars for months. Then they mature for a year in used 600-litre oak barrels in the open air and are exposed to wind and weather during this period, both the sun in summer and the cold north winds in winter. This simulates the conditions that accompany months of transport on ships, which has already proven positive for the aroma and colour of Portuguese Madeira. Only then are the wines blended into a cuvée and slowly flavoured with an alcoholic extract of 20 secret herbs and spices from all five continents.

Compared to an Italian Vermouth, Noilly Prat is darker and spicier. There are the dry versions Original French Dry and Extra Dry, the finely sweet Blanc and Rouge and the sweet Ambre. Noilly Prat is traditionally served neat and only slightly chilled (usually no ice cubes), but it is also a popular ingredient in many cocktails. For the famous Martini cocktail according to the classic recipe, the Italian Martini or dry Noilly Prat is preferred.

Factory building: By RudolfSimon - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

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