Noilly Prat

Noilly Prat is a French vermouth brand associated with the Mediterranean town of Marseillan in the Hérault department. Its origins date to 1813, when herbalist Joseph Noilly developed a formula intended to reproduce the fuller, darker character that wine could acquire after prolonged transport and exposure in wooden barrels. The result became one of France’s earliest vermouths and established a style of dry, aromatic, straw-coloured fortified wine that remains the brand’s defining product. The business took its modern form in 1855, when Joseph Noilly’s son Louis Noilly and son-in-law Claudius Prat established the company that became Noilly Prat. The operation moved to Marseillan, where the brand’s production identity remains rooted. From 1865 to 1902, the company was managed by Anne Rosine Noilly-Prat, an important figure in the business’s nineteenth-century development. Noilly Prat’s manufacturing method is presented as having changed little since the 1850s. Wines made principally from Picpoul de Pinet and Clairette grapes grown around Marseillan are first matured in large Canadian oak casks. They are then transferred to smaller barrels and placed outdoors for roughly a year, where sun, wind and seasonal temperature changes influence the wine. Evaporation during this stage is traditionally described as the angels’ share. After further resting and blending, the wines are softened with a small amount of mistelle and enhanced with fruit essence before undergoing a botanical maceration. A closely guarded mixture of herbs and spices, including camomile, bitter orange peel, nutmeg, centaury, coriander and cloves, is added by hand over several weeks. The brand is particularly prominent in cocktails, especially the Martini, where vermouth is combined with gin or vodka and may be finished with citrus, bitters or an olive. Noilly Prat is also associated with the Algonquin cocktail, made with rye whiskey, vermouth and pineapple juice. Outside the bar, it is widely used in cooking, especially in reductions and sauces for fish, where its herbal and spice character contributes complexity. Original French Dry is by far the best-known expression. Noilly Prat has also produced Red, Ambre and Extra Dry variants. Red was developed for export markets, especially the United States, while Ambre has been available through the Marseillan shop and specialist retailers. Extra Dry was formulated for the North American extra-dry Martini style; after being unavailable there from 2009, it returned in late 2012. In 2009, the North American export recipe was changed from the brand’s extra-dry formula to the original dry formula used elsewhere, alongside a bottle redesign. The brand was acquired by Italian vermouth competitor Martini & Rossi in 1971. Martini & Rossi later became part of the Bacardi family of brands following the 1992 merger that created the Bacardi-Martini group. Noilly Prat continues to be identified with Marseillan, where its cellars and visitor facilities explain the production process and offer tastings. The site has attracted more than 80,000 visitors annually according to reference material, although the applicable year is not specified.

Noilly Prat traces its origins to 1813, when Joseph Noilly, a French herbalist, created a fortified and aromatized wine intended to imitate the effects of long-distance barrel transport. Wine that travelled in barrels and encountered changing weather could become darker, rounder and more concentrated. Noilly’s method adapted that observation into a repeatable vermouth-making process and helped establish a French style distinct from later Italian vermouth traditions. In 1855, Joseph Noilly’s son Louis and his son-in-law Claudius Prat formed the company that became Noilly Prat. The business moved to Marseillan in southern France, a location that remains central to the brand’s identity and production story. The town’s local white grapes, maritime climate and historic cellars are closely associated with the finished vermouth. Anne Rosine Noilly-Prat managed the company between 1865 and 1902, during a period in which the enterprise continued to develop commercially. The production method described for the modern brand retains several elements attributed to the nineteenth-century process. White wines made mainly from Picpoul de Pinet and Clairette are matured for approximately eight months in large Canadian oak casks. They are then moved into smaller barrels and left outdoors for about a year. Exposure to sunlight, wind and winter temperatures slowly changes the wine’s colour, texture and flavour. Evaporation during this outdoor maturation reduces the volume by approximately 6% to 8%, a loss traditionally known as the angels’ share. The wine is subsequently returned indoors, rested, blended and adjusted with mistelle and fruit essence. Botanical maceration is a further defining stage. A secret blend of around twenty herbs and spices is introduced by hand over a three-week period. Publicly identified ingredients include camomile, bitter orange peel, nutmeg, centaury, coriander and cloves. After the botanical additions, the vermouth rests for several more weeks before bottling. Production and bottling have not always occurred at the same site: the reference material states that the finished product is shipped in tankers to Beaucaire in the Gard department for bottling by Martini & Rossi. The original dry vermouth remains the brand’s archetypal product and is widely used in Martinis and other cocktails. Noilly Prat has expanded beyond its white dry style with Red and Ambre expressions. Red was created for export, particularly the United States, while Ambre has had a more limited specialist and direct-sales presence. Extra Dry was made specifically for the North American extra-dry Martini market. Its availability and recipe changed over time, including a period when it was absent from the North American market and a later return in 2012. Corporate ownership changed in 1971, when Martini & Rossi acquired Noilly Prat. Martini & Rossi subsequently became part of the Bacardi-Martini portfolio in 1992. The brand therefore combines a French production heritage with ownership within a larger international spirits group. Its Marseillan cellars remain a public-facing part of the business, with tours covering maturation, botanical infusion and tasting. Noilly Prat’s continuing reputation rests on the combination of regional identity, traditional maturation, guarded botanical formulation and use in both classic drinks and French-style cooking.

• 2012

  Extra Dry returns to North America

  [1]Noilly Praten.wikipedia.org

  The Extra Dry expression returns to the North American market late in the year.

• 2009

  North American recipe and packaging change

  [1]Noilly Praten.wikipedia.org

  The Extra Dry export recipe in the United States is replaced by the original dry formula, accompanied by a bottle redesign.

• 1992

  Martini & Rossi joins the Bacardi-Martini family

  [1]Noilly Praten.wikipedia.org

  Martini & Rossi becomes part of the Bacardi-Martini group through a merger.

• 1979

  Extra Dry becomes available in North America

  [1]Noilly Praten.wikipedia.org

  The Extra Dry expression is introduced to the North American market for the extra-dry Martini style.

• 1971

  Acquisition by Martini & Rossi

  [1]Noilly Praten.wikipedia.org

  Italian vermouth producer Martini & Rossi acquires Noilly Prat.

• 1865

  Anne Rosine Noilly-Prat begins managing the company

  [1]Noilly Praten.wikipedia.org

  Anne Rosine Noilly-Prat takes over management, continuing to oversee the company until 1902.

• 1855

  The Noilly-Prat company is established

  [1]Noilly Praten.wikipedia.org

  Louis Noilly and Claudius Prat establish the company that becomes Noilly Prat and move the business to Marseillan.

• 1813

  Joseph Noilly develops the original vermouth formula

  [1]Noilly Praten.wikipedia.org

  Herbalist Joseph Noilly creates a vermouth formula inspired by the flavour changes caused by wine transport in wooden barrels.

A heritage French vermouth brand positioned around traditional Marseillan production, oak maturation, botanical complexity, cocktail culture and culinary use.

• Dry vermouth · 1813

  Noilly Prat Original Dry

  The brand’s signature expression and the archetypal Noilly Prat product. It is a dry, straw-coloured French vermouth made from local white-wine grapes and matured through oak ageing, outdoor barrel exposure and botanical maceration. Its aromatic profile supports classic Martinis and other cocktails, while its herbal and spice character also makes it useful in reductions and sauces, particularly with fish.

• Extra-dry vermouth · 1979

  Noilly Prat Extra Dry

  A lighter and less complex formulation developed for the North American extra-dry Martini style. It was sold in North America from 1979 until 2009, then returned late in 2012 after a period of withdrawal. Its availability is more geographically restricted than the core Original Dry expression.

• Red vermouth · 1960

  Noilly Prat Red

  A red vermouth made using the brand’s broad production approach but with additional flavourings that create a richer profile and red colour. The expression has primarily been produced for export markets, especially the United States, and is not generally sold in France outside the Noilly Prat shop in Marseillan.

• Amber vermouth · 1980

  Noilly Prat Ambre

  An amber-coloured expression with limited distribution compared with Original Dry. It is associated with the Marseillan visitor shop and specialist retailers rather than broad mainstream availability.

• 2009

  Replace the North American Extra Dry formulaProduct launch

  Background

  The North American market had developed a strong preference for very dry Martinis and for a vermouth style distinct from the original worldwide formula.

  Action taken

  Noilly Prat replaced the Extra Dry export recipe with the original dry formula used internationally and changed the bottle design.

  Aftermath

  The Extra Dry expression later returned to North America in late 2012, while the recipe change became a notable point in the brand’s product history.

  Source

1. 1Noilly Praten.wikipedia.org