ET: Thanks for the corrected spelling. Despite my love for the Irish poets I never could understand the Gaelic/ Celtic spelling – Irish or Scottish. Maybe they are people, I’ve seen some little people after draining the juices from a bottle of Scotch on occasion.

Dry vermouth – the kind we normally wave at our Martinis – is not a great drink. In fact it is kind of unpleasant. But the magic of chemistry when it meets the Gin performs wonders for both elixers. That same stuff is also excellent in any chicken recipe that calls for white wine – it is the herbs and botanicals that work so well on the chicken.

There are dry vermouths on the market that are very drinkable. They are expensive and I never buy them. My sister-in-law favors the stuff and I sometimes share a little with her. I’ll try to find the brand name she stocks in her pantry.