Rather than buying vermouth off the shelf, why not have a go at making your own?

This is a three-stage process. First you'll steep botanical herbs in vodka over a couple of weeks, then make a caramel and finally combine with wine to make a delicious dark vermouth. The botanicals listed here can all be purchased online (try baldwins.co.uk) or from Chinese herbalists.

Ingredients for 700ml vermouth

1 bottle vodka

200g caster sugar

4 tbsp water

1 bottle white wine

About 25g each of the following (you will have plenty left over, see below for precise measurements)

Angelica seeds

Bay leaves

Black peppercorns

Cardamom pods

Cinnamon stick

Cloves

Coriander seeds

Gentian root

Juniper berries

Marjoram

Nutmeg

Orange peel

Orris root powder

Quassia bark

Rosemary

Sage

Star anise

Vanilla pod

Wormwood

Yarrow



Special equipment

20 sterilised jam jars

Pipette

Micro scales

Sterilised resealable bottle

To make the botanicals

You'll need a jam jar for each botanical tea, to be filled with roughly one third of botanicals to two thirds vodka. Add roughly a handful of each herb, then the vodka, screw on the lid and leave to macerate at room temperature for 2 weeks.

To make the caramel

Heat 200g caster sugar and 4 tbsp of water in a pan over a high heat. Don't stir, but swirl the caramel around to stop it burning. We recommend taking the caramel to a dark amber colour for extra depth and complexity. Heating it to somewhere between 185C and 188C will do the trick. Carefully pour a thin layer on to a silicone mat or oiled baking sheet, and leave to solidify. Once solid, break up into shards.

To make the vermouth

Add 125ml of wine to a pan and place on a low heat. Add the caramel shards and stir until totally dissolved. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, and then combine with the remaining wine. Next, strain each tea and return the liquid to its original jar. Measure out – using a pipette, a container and accurate scales – the amounts given below and add to the caramel/wine mixture. Taste each one as you add them, to get a sense of the different herbs.

Angelica seeds 15g

Bay leaves 15g

Black peppercorns 10g

Cardamom pods 1g

Cinnamon stick 8g

Cloves 0.5g

Coriander seeds 15g

Gentian root 2g

Juniper berries 15g

Marjoram 5g

Nutmeg 5g

Orange peel 14.6g

Orris root powder 6g

Quassia bark 4g

Rosemary 5g

Star anise 5g

Sage 15g

Vanilla pod 5g

Wormwood 4g

Yarrow 2g

Your vermouth can be stored in a sterilised bottle with a good seal. Store in the fridge and drink within a couple of months – we are sure that it will be gone in a week.

Based on a recipe from The Ethicurean Cookbook, published by Ebury. To order a copy for £17.49 (RRP £25), visit theguardian.com/bookshop or call 0330 333 6846