Moli Beverage House is one of the most enchanting artisanal producers in the local industry. When discussing the concept of craft, the products created by Eyal Drori at Moli undoubtedly lead the category.
Drori is also the winemaker and co-owner of Agur Winery. Moli is his partnership with alcohol and nightlife expert Gal Erezi. Drori pursued his viticulture and enology studies, earning a bachelor's and master's degree, in Piedmont, Italy. From there, he brought his passion for infusing botanical ingredients into beverages.
Moli produces vermouths—essentially fortified and spiced wines—and bitter aperitifs rooted in the Spanish and Italian traditions of the category. The uniqueness of these beverages lies in their locality. Alongside local desert wormwood, which serves as the base additive for the vermouths, various plants from across the country, different citrus peels, local "warm" spices, and more are used. All these contribute to drinks with classic foundations but distinctly local flavors.
For instance, using Moli's red vermouth in a Negroni, instead of the common industrial Italian vermouth, will steer the cocktail towards local flavors with notes of silan (date honey), orange, and more. The same goes for the twist that the dry vermouth gives to a Martini. One cannot overlook the complex, fascinating, and delicious "Riserva," which is best enjoyed neat with two ice cubes, allowing you to momentarily forget how hard life can be.
The two bitter aperitif bottles—Spring and End of Summer—belong to an entirely different category. Although less known here, they are quite prominent in Italy and France. These are beverages with a slightly higher alcohol content, sipped with soda or a bit of tonic, or used as a substitute for Campari in a Negroni.
All Moli products maintain a high level of cleanliness, precision, and excellence. When compared to their industrial counterparts, the difference is unmistakable. These are truly exceptional beverages that experienced drinkers familiar with the genre will appreciate.
When it comes to such high-quality, personal, and meticulous craft, it is clear that one should not seek great value for money. The production costs of these types of beverages, as well as the relatively small quantities produced, make them not cheap. Given their quality, the pricing is logical and reasonable. For this reason, the value-for-money criterion was omitted from this review. For those yet to experience Drori's excellent work, now is definitely the time.
Moli products can be found at Manu Vino, Alcohome, Avi Ben in Jerusalem, Yainot VeTaim, Panko, other delicatessens, and on Instagram. The prices mentioned in the review refer to direct purchase from the manufacturer when buying six bottles. Cheers!
Vedetta 52, Vermouth, Bianco 2021
A dry vermouth based on Muscat Alexandroni, desert flowers, exotic spices, and citrus. Emphasis on desert wormwood. Golden color. Citrus, floral, and spicy nose. Light-medium body. 16% alcohol by volume. 128 grams of sugar per liter.
Price: NIS 106.
How to drink: Afternoon aperitivo, over ice, with soda or tonic.
Critic's note: Aromatic, citrusy, floral, spicy, skillfully avoids excessive sweetness, charming.
Vedetta 52, Vermouth, Dry 2021
A dry white vermouth based on Dabouki grapes, five types of wormwood, verbena, lemon balm, geranium, wormwood, and olive leaves infused in alcohol. Golden color. White fruit, slight honey, and noticeable herbal nose, prominent aroma. Medium body. 17% alcohol by volume. 25 grams of sugar per liter.
Price: NIS 106.
How to drink: Aperitif with ice and tonic or in a Martini cocktail (with gin and an olive).
Critic's note: A good dry vermouth is life, and this vermouth is not just good. Less sugar, lots of flowers and spices, with expressive aroma, cleanliness, dryness, and precision.
Vedetta 52, Vermouth, Rosso 2021
A red vermouth based on Muscat grapes, with Israeli herbs led by Judaean wormwood, silan, mace, and orange peel. Abundant herbs and spices, silan on the nose. Full body. 16.5% alcohol by volume. 115 grams of sugar per liter.
Price: NIS 118.
How to drink: Over ice, with or without soda. In a Negroni (with gin, Campari, and ice).
Critic's note: All Moli products aim for a clear expression of locality. This is the most pronounced, referencing the ancient local konditon beverage. Silan, orange, "warm" spices, and Muscat base make it a joyful and intriguing sip. With sweetness alongside bitterness and a significant smoky touch. Excellent product.
Vedetta 52, Bitter Aperitif, Spring 2022
A bitter aperitif based on extracts of clementine, pomelo, orange, yellow, and red grapefruit, with a bit of Sauvignon Blanc. Additionally, gentian root, wormwood, and green and black cardamom. Slightly cloudy orange color. Abundant citrus on the nose. Medium body. 22% alcohol by volume. 152 grams of sugar per liter.
Price: NIS 164.
How to drink: Afternoon aperitivo over ice, with or without soda and tonic. White Negroni (instead of Campari, with gin and vermouth).
Critic's note: The excellent complexity provided by the grape peels combines with the "warm" spices and wormwood to create a no less than magical range of flavors, with abundant nuances and stunning balance. Relatively light compared to the parallel Italian genre with a stronger aromatic profile. Pure delight!
Vedetta 52, Bitter Aperitif, End of Summer 2022
A bitter aperitif based on Sauvignon Blanc and pomegranate juice. Flavored with cassia and gentian, citrus peels (lemon, grapefruit, clementines, and Seville orange) from the Sharon region. Slightly reddish-orange-brown color. Citrus, spices, and white fruit on the nose. Medium body. 20% alcohol by volume. 158 grams of sugar per liter.
Price: NIS 164.
How to drink: Over ice, with gin or soda, or in a Negroni (with gin and vermouth, as a substitute for Campari).
Critic's note: Citrus, pomegranate, spices, white fruit; all these combine here to create a delicious and refreshing bitter aperitif. Sweetness lovers will enjoy it with quality tonic, but those with a drier palate should sip it with soda, which better highlights its flavor complexity.
Vedetta 52, Vermouth, Reserva, Rosso 2021
A red vermouth based on Chenin Blanc and Muscat Alexandroni. Aged for two years in French oak barrels. Seasoned with alcoholic extracts in which over 40 types of plants, herbs, and spices were steeped for a year with the wine. Cloudy amber-orange color. Abundant spices and fruit on the nose. Medium-full body. 18% alcohol by volume. 95 grams of sugar per liter.
Price: NIS 195.
How to drink: Neat or with two ice cubes.
Critic's note: Drori's private dialogue with his spiritual homeland, Turin in Piedmont. A red in the "Riserva" style of Turin, with unique Israeli flavor and aroma characteristics such as pine and eucalyptus. The most complex and fascinating of all the drinks reviewed here. Truly excellent. For experienced sippers.