Little City Vermouth was founded and is made by Will Clark. For the past 22 years Will has lived in Harlem, and has worked as a professional musician touring the world. While visiting Spain, Will experienced the traditional Vermut service (red vermouth, on ice with an orange slice & olive) and was hooked! Upon returning home to Harlem, Will got to work researching vermouth; its history, traditions, and most importantly, how to make it.

From there, Will began making his own vermouth in his Harlem apartment. He played with different methods of extraction and different blending processes. He researched the history of vermouth—which is arguably as old as wine itself—and tried to track down every botanical that had ever been used in vermouth. He learned that the possible flavor combinations are essentially endless.  Eventually, Will’s project produced a vermouth that he preferred to any that were available to him in local stores. 

With a good working knowledge of vermouth and a clear vision of what he wanted to make, Will sought out a winery partner to bring Little City to life. The search eventually led him to the Finger Lakes, and Hunt Country Vineyards, a seventh-generation farm just west of Keuka Lake.

The first bottling of Little City Vermouth was in July of 2018. The two styles (Sweet & Dry) are on a base of Cayuga, and Valvin Muscat grapes. Cayuga is a cross of Schuyler and Seyval Blanc grapes that was developed at Cornell University to create a grape that would grow well in the Finger Lakes region of New York State.  The dry uses 37 botanicals.  It is citrus-forward, bright, and energetic.  The sweet vermouth is bold, rich and spicy.  Reminiscent of a Torino style, made right here in New York. Little City’s latest offering is a vermouth spritz—a blend of sweet and dry vermouth topped with seltzer water and packed in a 12 ounce can. Light and easy drinking, it’s something Will has been serving to friends and family for years, now available to all.