There are places that smell of history, of damp forest soil and hanging bunches of herbs. Places where the morning mist lies heavy between the vines and the buzzing of bees sounds like an ancient song.

One of these places is Neusatz, a small hilltop village near Bühl, where the foothills of the Black Forest merge into the sunny vineyard landscape - and where the Nöltner & Nöltner distillery has been capturing the power of nature in bottles for generations.

Here, where chestnuts stand like living ancestors, a vermouth is created that is far more than just an aperitif. It is a drink that tells of the place, of the family, of the land. A vermouth that was not made to please, but to remind.

Waldesruh' - A Black Forest vermouth between forest, wine and memory

Its basis is a Solaris wine, grown on the slopes of the Hard above Neusatz - a grape variety that is rarely found in the world of vermouth. It has the sun in its name and in its soul. Soft, aromatic, with a natural sweetness reminiscent of ripe fruit and flowers. The parish serves this wine as a mass wine, and that is also part of its history: a wine that was consecrated before it was refined.

There is also an element that is as unusual as it is sensual: a honey brandy distilled from chestnut honey from the Neusatz chestnut groves. It brings warmth, wood and dark depth to the vermouth. It is the forest in liquid form, captured in an amber glow.

The aroma is carried on by a finely balanced composition of herbs. Spruce needles lend freshness, while lavender blossoms and camomile exude floral tranquillity. Basil adds spice, citrus fruits brighten up the aromas and a hint of oak wood lingers - like the crackling of a stove in a stone hut.

The fact that this vermouth is called “Waldesruh'” is no coincidence. It is a quiet name, an honest one. And the brand under which it appears - Anselm & Söhne - is not a marketing idea, but a living reminder of Anselm Nöltner, a man from Baden whose name today stands as a bridge between past and present. The Nöltner family is the fifth generation to carry on this craft - not out of duty, but out of conviction.

Waldesruh' is not a drink for those in a hurry. It is a companion of slowness, of conversation, of dusk. Perhaps also a comforter, a reminder. In any case: a drop of home.