Dolin Chambéryzette Strawberry Aperitif

Dolin Chambéryzette Strawberry Aperitif is a historic blend of Chambéry Dry Vermouth and wild strawberry liqueur, produced in the Savoie region of the French Alps for more than a century. This is not a novelty bottling—it is a singular aperitif rooted in the late-19th-century tradition of flavoring dry vermouth with fraise des bois, the tiny, intensely fragrant wild woodland strawberry native to the Alpine foothills. Chambéry is the only French town with a protected appellation for vermouth, and Dolin has held the standard there since 1821. The Dolin family has been making vermouth in Chambéry since the early 19th century, and Chambéryzette represents one of the house's most distinctive expressions. The base is Dolin's Chambéry Dry, a lighter, more delicate vermouth than its Turin counterparts, built on white wine and Alpine botanicals. That vermouth is then blended with wild strawberry liqueur made from fraise des bois, which are harvested in the region and differ markedly from cultivated strawberries—smaller, more aromatic, more tart, with a floral intensity that reads as perfume rather than candy. The result is pale salmon-pink in the glass, a color that signals the ingredient without exaggeration. The nose is complex and herbal, the citrus and floral character of the Chambéry vermouth intertwining with the perfumed, slightly tart wild strawberry. There are hints of white flowers and a dry, almost dusty earthiness underneath. On the palate, Chambéryzette is refreshingly light and dry for a fruit-forward aperitif, with natural acidity that keeps the profile lively and prevents any cloying sweetness. The finish is clean and long, the strawberry fading gracefully into the vermouth's botanical complexity. Serve it over ice with a splash of tonic and a twist of lemon, or pour it straight and very cold as an aperitif before dinner. It pairs beautifully with fresh cheeses, charcuterie, and anything involving stone fruit or almond. In stock at Off Premise in Lincoln Park.