Vermouth wine-based cocktail recipes
In a wine glass, add the bitters to the sugar. Then add the dubonnet and a tsp. of ice. Fill the glass with champagne, stir gently and garnish with a twist of lemon peel.
Pour over ice into an collins glass. Garnish with lemon and orange twists. You may fill with some club soda.
Float vermouth on top of chilled Dubonnet in a red wine glass and serve.
Shake ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with strawberry.
Stir all ingredients (except lemon wedge) with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Add the lemon wedge and serve.
Combine Vermouth, Southern Comfort, and ice in a glass and stir well. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Pour grenadine and carbonated water into a collins glass and stir. Add ice cubes and dry vermouth. Fill with carbonated water and stir again. Add the twist of lemon peel and the orange spiral so that the end dangles over rim of glass.
Stir over ice cubes in an aperitif or cordial glass, and squeeze in an orange wedge. Serve.
Stir all ingredients (except lemon and cherry) with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Add the lemon slice, top with the cherry, and serve.
Stir dubonnet and creme de cassis over ice cubes in an aperitif glass. Fill with soda, add a twist of lemon peel, and serve.
Shake all ingredients (except carbonated water) with ice and strain into a highball glass over two ice cubes. Fill with carbonated water, stir, and serve.
Pour dubonnet over ice cubes in a collins glass, and fill with ginger ale. Add a spiral of lemon peel, and serve.
Pour all ingredients into an old-fashioned glass, and serve.
Stir over ice cubes in a small highball glass, and serve.
Shake with ice and strain into an old-fashioned glass.
Pour the vermouth, grenadine and ginger ale into a collins glass almost filled with ice cubes. Stir well, garnish with a twist of lemon, and serve.
Pour the vermouth, sherry and Pernod into a mixing glass half-filled with ice cubes. Stir well, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.
Stir over ice cubes in an aperitif glass. Fill with water, and serve.
Pour into a frosted champagne flute.
Stir ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.
Stir and strain into a wine glass filled with broken ice. Garnish with red, green and yellow cherries on a stick.
Pour over ice cubes in a small highball glass, stir, and serve.
Stir all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.
Stir vermouth and creme de cassis in a highball glass with ice cubes. Fill with carbonated water, stir again, and serve.
Pour vermouth and creme de cassis into an old-fashioned glass. Add three or four ice cubes, fill with soda, and serve.
Stir well over ice cubes in a mixing glass. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and serve.
Serve without ice. The juice should be at room temperature.
6 Whisky and Vermouth Cocktails That Aren’t the Manhattan
September 11, 2017 | Brittany Risher
There’s nothing new about vermouth in cocktails. You may even have a bottle or two yourself at home to mix up Manhattans, the whisky-vermouth pairing that people are most familiar with. But vermouth can be used far beyond that perennial classic. For example, if you’re looking for a lower-proof drink, a vermouth-based whisky cocktail can satisfy your craving while keeping your alcohol consumption in check. To that end, some bartenders are experimenting with “reverse” cocktails, which switch the ratio of whisky to vermouth. For example, a reverse Manhattan would be 2 parts vermouth and 1 part whisky.
But vermouth and whisky match in many more ways than you might imagine. “Vermouth has a really broad array of applications. It is so versatile that it can be the star of a cocktail instead of sitting in the back seat,” explains Alan Lam, beverage director of New York City’s Eataly Flatiron. “The point in any cocktail is to make sure it is not overpowering or has a flavor that is all over the place. Whisky and vermouth naturally balance each other. Vermouth softens the more powerful whisky, and the result is a well-integrated cocktail. The applications are endless.”
Lam suggests rye with a less bitter vermouth for a smooth, clean drink, or peated scotch with a dry vermouth for a spicier, smoky cocktail. Pam Wiznitzer, creative director at New York City’s Seamstress and national president of the United States Bartenders’ Guild, says sweet vermouth needs a more intense whisky like a peated scotch, rye, or something over-proof, while dry and bianco vermouths work nicely with bourbon and Irish whiskey.
But there really are no rules, so simply pick the styles of whisky and vermouth to match your palate, and add other flavorings from there. Of course, more whisky will make a stronger, richer cocktail, and, depending on the vermouth, the more you add will change the complexity of the drink, Lam says.
If you’re not sure where to start, try these bartender creations and see what they inspire you to experiment with next.
Add Variety To Your Vermouth Cocktails
Created by Chris Ayabe, assistant manager at Péché in Austin; features Knob Creek bourbon and Punt e Mes vermouth
“This cocktail has big chocolate and whisky flavor up front, with a good, crisp ending,” Ayabe says.
Created by Alan Lam, beverage director of Eataly Flatiron in New York City; features Michter’s rye and Carpano Antico sweet vermouth
This well-balanced, refreshing variation of a Brown Derby is perfect for summer. “The mellow, smooth rye whiskey compliments the vermouth. Basil adds a fresh, herbaceous quality, and the black pepper gives a subtle touch of spice to round it out,” Lam says.
Created by Rafael Del Busto, head bartender at Atrium DUMBO in Brooklyn, NY; features Old Overholt rye and Carpano Antico sweet vermouth
“This complex, extremely well-balanced cocktail has layers of citrus and herbal notes followed by floral and spiced notes from the chamomile cordial, finishing sweet and nutty yet dry from the mixture of sweet vermouth and Madeira,” Del Busto says.
The North of Liberty
Created by Pam Wiznitzer, creative director at Seamstress in New York City; features rye whiskey and bianco vermouth
“This may be a simple cocktail, but all of the ingredients work together to create a well-rounded drink with the spice of the rye, the floral notes of the vermouth, and the pop of citrus and fruit from the juices,” Witnitzer says.
Created by mixologist Ewan Henderson of Glasgow, Scotland; features blended malt scotch and La Copa vermouth
“The dried fruits and sweet spice of the scotch lend a rich depth that comes through when using watermelon juice,” Henderson says.
A classic cocktail interpreted by Alan Lam, beverage director of Eataly in New York City; features Bulleit bourbon and Casa Martelletti vermouth
“Our inspiration for this Boulevardier is to have a more fully layered cocktail to get the appetite going,” Lam says. There’s richness from the bourbon, citrus from the vermouth, and a touch of bitter from the Campari.
More From Cocktails
6 Whisky Cocktails to Make for Brunch
Pair your French toast with refreshing whisky-based drinks.
Fare Thee Well
A blend of sweet and savory, this cocktail mixes bourbon and fruit flavors.
Seelbach Cocktail
Spicy and bubbly, this whiskey and champagne cocktail is perfect for brunch.
M. Shanken Communications
Subscriptions
© Copyright 2017. Whisky Advocate. All rights reserved.
Vermouth Cocktails
A few years back, vermouth—an aromatized, fortified wine—held little sway over American drinkers. Today, there's a whole new crop of the fortified wine debuting in the U.S.—and bartenders are taking notice. The vermouths now available offer a range of complex flavors, as perfect for classic drinks as they are for brand-new creations. Read more about vermouth »
This refreshing amaro-and-vermouth-based cocktail—a twist on the classic Americano—from New York City’s Amor y Amargo offers big notes of orange, cinnamon, and pine, with a touch of anise from a couple dashes of absinthe. We love Imbue Petal & Thorn vermouth for its bold, citrusy flavor, but you can substitute any other sweet vermouth.
At the vermouth-focused bar Amor y Amargo in New York City, cognac, apple brandy, and an apple-mint vermouth are combined for a decidedly autumnal cocktail. Becherovka, a spicy, bittersweet Czech liqueur, lends a complex herbal flavor; dashes of apple bitters amp up the fruit aromatics.
Vermouth hasn't always played second fiddle to boozier spirits. In this elegant, low-alcohol drink from the early 1900s, a simple but fragrant mix of fino sherry, sweet vermouth, and orange bitters spotlights the fortified wine. The name comes from a popular 1884 Broadway musical of the same name. Any high-quality sweet vermouth will do, although we love Interrobang for its notes of bitter orange and baking spices.
Traditionally made with white wine, this popular Italian aperitivo gets an aromatic punch with a citrusy American vermouth as a substitute. We prefer Ransom Dry for its notes of candied orange, lemon verbena, and vanilla, but other high-quality dry vermouths will also work well.
A housemade amber vermouth flavored with juniper and cardamom is the base for this gutsy drink from Manhattan’s Amor y Amargo, which opened in 2011 with vermouth on tap and more than 12 bottled varieties. Cardoon-flavored Cardamaro and dry gin play off the vermouth’s botanical notes, while celery bitters boosts the drink’s herbaceousness.
This light, elegant quaff was created for international dignitaries in the 1890s, at the iconic Grand Hotel in Yokohama, Japan. Made with a base of vermouth and fino sherry brightened by orange and Angostura bitters, it’s low in alcohol, making it a perfect before-dinner drink.
Both sweet and dry vermouths are made from a white wine base flavored with various botanicals; dry styles are typically macerated with bright-tasting ingredients like lemon and chamomile, while sweet versions are mixed with caramel and showcase warmer spices. This simple mix of the two, adapted from a recipe in Philip Greene’s To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion (Perigee Trade, 2012), was a favorite drink of Ernest Hemingway.
Vermouth maker Karl Weichold created this riff on the classic Boulevardier with his own Interrobang vermouth, a sweet style suffused with bitter orange and baking spices. He substitutes the artichoke-based amaro Cynar for Campari, creating a heady, bone-warming cocktail that's great to sip in fall and winter.
Vermouth hasn't always played second fiddle to boozier spirits; this delicate aperitif, which is 2:1 vermouth to gin, was a favorite of Julia Child's for pre-dinner drinking.
Charles Joly of Aviary in Chicago presents a pot of Earl Grey tea beside this cold cocktail, dropping dry ice into the tea to create an aromatic steam that fragrances the air as you sip. Even without the tableside theatrics, the home version is wonderful.
The Manhattan was originally vermouth dominant: two parts vermouth to one part rye whiskey. By the end of World War II, as the quality of American-made spirits improved, it became less necessary to dilute the burn of harsh liquors, and vermouth ratios plummeted, propelled by a fashionable disdain for the light, spiced wine. In this throwback version of the drink, an assertive sweet vermouth—we like Imbue Petal & Thorn—adds a citrusy, herbal flavor.
Recipes
At Saveur, we recommend all kinds of products we think you'll love. In some cases, we receive a commission for purchases made through this site, but if a product link shows up in an editorial article, it's there for one reason: We love it. End of story.
Copyright © 2017 SAVEUR. A Bonnier Corporation Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Vermouth, Quinquina & Americano in Mixed Drinks
There are countless cocktails and mixed drinks that employ vermouth. Many are redundant, but many reside at the apogee of the mixological craft. This collection focuses on classics—by which we mean highly reproduceable recipes that yield outstanding results, that we revisit over and over—where vermouths and quinquinas play a starring, or at least, co-starring role. We also direct special attention to the Martini and Manhattan cocktails because they are ubiquitous and because there’s more history and variation going on there than you probably were aware of.
Three things you’ll notice about cocktails that employ wines: they seldom involve fruit juice, they’re often best stirred with ice rather than shaken, and they tend to produce clear beverages.
A word about our sources: we went straight to the top. These books are the state of the art of cocktail research and analysis relevant to our discussion of aperitif wines. They are all in print. You should buy multiple copies of each.
By David Wondrich
By Ted “Dr. Cocktail” Haigh
By Gary (Gaz) Regan
By Gary (Gaz) Regan
By Lowell Edmunds
Vermouth Cocktail
The Vermouth Cocktail is very “old school”—as in 150-year-old school—but deserves far more attention than it typically gets today in the United States. Why? First of all, it’s a first rate, elegant aperitif that elaborates on plain vermouth-on-ice. Second, it’s light. Sometimes you just don’t want a glass of booze. Problem solved.
Vermouth Cocktail
2 oz vermouth (any)
1 dash Angostura bitters (or other)
Stir with ice and strain into a small stemmed glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist or an orange twist.
Note: can also be served on the rocks, but, to avoid overdilution, use refrigerated vermouth and a pre-chilled glass.
For the emergence and evolution of the seminal Manhattan, we will lean heavily on David Wondrich’s Imbibe!, which we believe represents the current authority. As a practical matter, the Manhattan is the rare mixed drink that is hard to completely fail at. Different whiskeys and vermouths may harmonize more at one proportion than others, but the result will pretty much always be at least drinkable. Probably the biggest danger is employing poor ice and over-diluting or under-chilling the drink.
Note that none of these recipes specify a cocktail cherry. If you are particularly fond of the “nuclear red” almond-flavored cherry that is now ubiquitous in the modern bar, by all means, throw one in. However, the cherry was not part of the original drink, and it is in no way essential to it. A nice touch is to macerate your own fresh cherries in Maraschino liqueur or use imported French Griottines (brandy-macerated Morellos).
Manhattan (Old Standard, c. 1884)
1ВЅ oz straight rye whiskey or bourbon whiskey*
1ВЅ oz red vermouth
1-2 dashes orange bitters, Angostura Bitters or Peychaud’s Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
*Important: for best results, use a 100-proof or 101-proof whiskey.
(adapted from Imbibe!, p. 240)
Manhattan (Reverse, c. 1887)
2 oz red vermouth
1 oz 100-proof straight rye whiskey
1 tsp Maraschino liqueur
3 dashes Fee’s Aromatic Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a slice of lemon.
(adapted from Imbibe!, p. 242)
Manhattan (New Standard, c. 1892)
2 oz straight rye whiskey or bourbon whiskey*
1 oz red vermouth
Вј tsp. Maraschino liqueur (optional, but recommended)
1 dash Absinthe
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.
*Important: for best results, use a 100-proof or 101-proof whiskey.
(adapted from Imbibe!, p. 243)
Rob Roy (c.1902)
2 oz Scotch whiskey
1 oz red vermouth
2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with an orange twist.
(adapted from Imbibe!, p. 253)
There is no single recipe or approach to the Martini. The only statement we can make with conviction is that a Martini contains gin and vermouth. The fact is the Martini is a messy evolution of an idea that began with the Manhattan and the rise of vermouth in the United States in the 1880s and 1890s. David Wondrich chronicles this as coherently as any in Imbibe! Lowell Edmunds makes the best supported case for a platonic ideal in his book, Martini, Straight Up, but Edmunds is surprisingly agnostic about formulae. The march from Prohibition through the latter 20th Century was unkind to this drink, reducing it to a bucket of chilled gin (or vodka), which may have suited some tastes, but disregarded that the Martini was actually supposed to be a cocktail, and an aperitif at that. Today, things are looking up for this drink, with the categorical revitalization of vermouth, the incredible array of superb gins on the market, and the resurrection of quality orange bitters. In the opinion of your editor, we have today arrived at the apotheosis of this evolution in the form of Audrey Saunders’ Fitty-Fitty, which is also surprisingly close to where the evolution began.
Note: dry vermouth was once yellower than it is now. Gin was, too, because it was often shipped in wooden barrels prior to bottling. Thus, early Dry Martinis were often pale gold in color, rather than water-clear. (Martini, Straight Up, p. 85).
Without further ado, here is an approximate chronological overview of the evolution of the Martini judiciously employing contemporary ingredients:
Turf Club Cocktail (1884)
1ВЅ oz Old Tom Gin
1ВЅ oz red vermouth
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.
(adapted from Imbibe!, p. 244)
Martinez Cocktail (1887)
2 oz red vermouth
1 oz Old Tom Gin
1 tsp Maraschino liqueur
1 dash Angostura Bitters or Fee’s Aromatic Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a slice of lemon.
(adapted from Imbibe!, p. 245)
Marguerite Cocktail (1896)
2 oz Plymouth gin
1 oz dry vermouth
1 dash orange bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
(adapted from Martini, Straight Up, p. 84)
Dry Martini Cocktail (Hoffman House, 1906)
1ВЅ oz Tanqueray Gin or Beefeater Gin
1ВЅ oz Noilly Prat Original Dry Vermouth
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist or an orange twist.
(adapted from Imbibe!, p. 247-8)
Gibson Cocktail (c. 1908)
1ВЅ oz dry vermouth
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
No garnish. (If you have a fondness for pickled onions, please see the 1980s Martini, below)
(adapted from Imbibe!, p. 248)
Fourth Degree (1931)
2 oz Plymouth Gin
1 oz red vermouth
1 dash absinthe
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.
(adapted from Imbibe!, p. 246)
1950s Martini
3 oz gin or vodka
ВЅ oz dry vermouth
1 dash orange bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a pimento-stuffed olive or a lemon twist.
(Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, p. 295)
Vesper (1953)
3 oz Boodles Gin, Tanqueray Gin or Gordon’s Gin (UK)
ВЅ oz Kina Lillet*
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.
*Try with Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano.
(Adapted from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, p. 277)
1980s Martini
3ВЅ oz gin or vodka
1 scant splash dry vermouth
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass, or pour it on the rocks.
This version is as much about the garnish as anything else, so go with anything that pleases you: olives, cocktail onions, dilly beans, a spoonful of brine, … bacon?
Fitty-Fitty (2009)
1ВЅ oz Plymouth Gin
1ВЅ oz Dolin Dry vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters
Stir with cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.
(Audrey Saunders, Pegu Club, 2009)
Other Classics
Now we turn to an array of wonderful drinks that feature aperitif wines. All of these are proven classics worth exploring, even if they don’t look good to you “on paper.” Again, these recipes are presented in rough chronological order.
Saratoga Cocktail (c. 1887)
1 oz straight rye whiskey
1 oz red vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a slice of lemon.
(adapted from Imbibe!, p. 255)
Bijou (c. 1900)
1 oz Green Chartreuse
1 oz red vermouth
1 oz Plymouth gin
1 dash orange bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.
(adapted from Imbibe!, p. 258)
Negroni (c. 1920)
1ВЅ oz red vermouth
Pour all the ingredients into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass and stir briefly.
Garnish with an orange twist.
(The Bartenders’ Gin Compendium, p. 307)
The Rose (c. 1920)
2 oz dry vermouth
1 oz kirshwasser
1 tsp raspberry syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a cherry.
(Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, p. 239)
Blood and Sand (c. 1922)
1 oz Scotch whiskey
1 oz fresh squeezed orange juice
Вѕ oz Cherry Heering
Вѕ oz red vermouth
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
(adapted from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, p. 69)
Corpse Reviver #2 (c. 1930)
1 oz Lillet Blanc*
1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1-3 drops absinthe or pastis
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a cherry.
*Try with Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano.
(Adapted from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, p. 95)
Vieux CarrГ© Cocktail (c. 1937)
1 oz 100-proof straight rye whiskey
1 oz red vermouth
ВЅ tsp Benedictine
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Shake with ice and strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.
(adapted from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, p. 280)
The Blackthorn Cocktail
Вѕ oz Dubonnet Rouge
Вѕ oz kirschwasser
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a cherry and a lemon twist.
(Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, p. 65)
but, generally speaking, French and Italian Vermouths constitute an inadvisable mixture, unless a highly aromatic bitters is used as a genial arbitrator in the contest between the two opposing ingredients.
— Beverages De Luxe (1914, p.60)
Special thanks to Eric Seed, RomГ©e de Gorianoff, Alexandre Vingtier and Carl Sutton for their invaluable assistance on this project. Otherwise, the individual to blame for this site is Martin Doudoroff, a New York City cocktail enthusiast driven to this sort of folly from time to time.
Vermouth 101 was edited by Martin Doudoroff, inspired by preceding work by Martin Doudoroff & Ted Haigh. All trademarks and intellectual property employed in discussing brands belong to their respective owners.
Vermouth Cocktail Recipe
Spirits such as whiskey or gin pack a flavorful punch in cocktails, but as I wrote yesterday, sometimes you're looking for a drink that doesn't have quite the boozy wallop, but still doesn't skimp on flavor.
While low-alcohol cocktails are popping up on beverage menus around the country, the concept of a low-octane refresher is anything but new. Here's a drink that's among the earliest examples of lower-potency concoctions: the Vermouth Cocktail.
During the 1870s and 1880s, Italian vermouth (AKA rosso or sweet vermouth) was still a fairly new product in American bars, and bartenders were pouring it liberally into all types of cocktails, including ancestors of familiar drinks such as the Manhattan and the martini. Today we usually think of vermouth as a mixer (assuming we think about it at all), but 19th century bartenders were pretty generous with the dosage, and the Vermouth Cocktail had a good run of popularity, with good reason. A decent vermouth, properly stored, is absolutely delicious.
This drink is dead simple to prepare, but keep a few tips in mind:
- Use a decent vermouth: as with any drink, reaching for the bargain-shelf stuff is going to spoil the whole outcome. The Vermouth Cocktail puts the spotlight on the wine, so make sure it's a good one; this drink is excellent with a bold vermouth such as Carpano Antica Formula or Vya Sweet, or with a classic Turin-style vermouth such as Martelletti. Bigger brands such as Martini & Rossi or Cinzano will get you there, but the drink may not have the same flavorful vavoom that you'll find with these other brands.
- Keep it fresh: unlike spirits such as whiskey or gin, vermouth is an aromatized wine: once a bottle has been opened, keep it refrigerated and use it within a few weeks. You wouldn't pour a glass of Pinot Noir from a bottle you opened last summer; take the same approach with your vermouth.
- Feel free to improvise: prefer the drink with something bolder and more bitter, such as Punt e Mes or a quinquina such as Cocchi Americano or Bonal? Go for it. Likewise, if you'd prefer dry vermouth, that works, too; good brands include Vya and a fresh bottle of Noilly Prat.
- Other variations that are worthwhile: substitute Grand Marnier for the maraschino, or use another bitters of choice in place of the Angostura (Boker's are a good idea), or toss in a dash of absinthe - all tasty, and historically appropriate touches.
The Vermouth Cocktail illustrates the flavorful beauty of good vermouth, with just a little adornment. If you're prone to dismiss this drink out of hand because it's based on vermouth, then you're denying yourself the opportunity to see what the original fuss from the nineteenth century was all about.
- Yield: makes 1 cocktail
- Active time: 2 minutes
- Total time: 2 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 ounces sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes maraschino liqueur (or curacao or Grand Marnier)
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1-2 dashes simple syrup, to taste
- Twist of lemon peel, for garnish
Directions
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir well until chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Twist lemon peel over drink and use as garnish.
Special Equipment
Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
Filed Under
Your comment has been accepted and will appear in a moment.
Add a Comment
Preview Your Comment
HTML Hints
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more in the Comment Policy section of our Terms of Use page.
The tastiest bites delivered to your inbox!
Keep up with our latest recipes, tips, techniques and where to eat!
The tastiest bites delivered to your inbox!
How to Drink Vermouth, Beyond the Martini
Long the sideman, vermouth breaks out as a solo act.
Vermouth is more potion than drink. The ultimate cocktail builder (see Martinis and Manhattans ) was originally used as a medicinal tonic, with spices and botanicals like wormwood—the German “ wermut ” inspired the name. Technically, it’s a wine that is aromatized (infused with botanicals) and fortified (spiked with unaged brandy). The brandy helps it last longer than wine, but not much. It’ll start to oxidize after about a month, so keep it in the fridge. Here's what you should know about sippin' the good stuff.
Straight Up
At its best, vermouth isn’t just a snazzy cocktail ingredient, it’s a cocktail unto itself. Case in point: a glass of the legendary Punt e Mes over ice (plus an orange peel, if you’d like). The sweet vermouth has more bitterness than its peers—it’s that extra bittering that helps it stand alone.
Herbal Essences
A few ingredients you might taste:
Martini Math
It’s not the gin that makes a Martini. It’s how much vermouth the drinker likes.
1:5 gin to vermouth: the Upside-Down or Reverse Martini
2:1 gin to vermouth
Gin, no vermouth (just a rumored nod toward France)
Style Spectrum
Vermouths have either a white or red wine base, and are either dry or sweet (though most red vermouths are sweet).
Dry white vermouth, like this one by Dolin, is crucial in any Martini.
It’s the workhorse behind the cocktail bar and a crucial ingredient in any Martini (sorry, Churchill). French Dolin Dry is the benchmark white vermouth, but there’s certainly no shame in choosing classics Martini & Rossi or Noilly Prat .
Reddish brown and often vanilla scented (as in Carpano Antica Formula ). The anchor of a Manhattan or Negroni .
Sweet White
Floral, ethereal, and clear. Look for blanc or bianco (e.g., Martini & Rossi ) on the label.
Yes, Vermouth Bars Are a Thing
A whole bar devoted to the stuff? There are several vermuterías in Barcelona, including the standing-room-only Bodega 1900 run by the Adrià dynasty. Similar bars (like Chicago’s upcoming Artemisia ) are coming stateside soon.
Not Euro enough for vermouth on the rocks? Here's a more approachable creation .
GET THE MAGAZINE
Sign up for the Bon Appétit
Newsletter
Will be used in accordance with our user agreement and privacy policy
Explore Bon Appétit
© 2017 Condé Nast. All rights reserved
Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (effective 1/2/2014) and Privacy Policy (effective 1/2/2014).
Bon Appétit may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our affiliate partnerships with retailers.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast.
3 Cocktails That Let Sweet Vermouth Show Off
Sweet vermouth is often thought of as nothing more than a supporting player in many cocktails. But we’re here to tell you that it can be so much more. It can carry a cocktail all on its own. If you’re dubious of the idea, chances are you've been drinking subpar vermouth, or worse, a bottle that's spoiled. Like wine, vermouth doesn't fare well once open—it will oxidize and its flavors will change drastically—so if you've got a bottle that's been sitting half-empty on a dusty shelf, please do yourself a favor and toss it immediately.
After you get rid of the bad stuff, go out and get yourself a bottle of Carpano Antica. Carpano Antica is our favorite sweet vermouth, with a history dating back to the 18th century. It’s rich and full-bodied, sweet but a little less so than many other brands, and with a fascinating range of flavors, from sharp herbs to citrus peel.
Try it in these three cocktails and watch it shine.
Let's start with a highball. Just adding soda (and a big squeeze of lemon) lightens it up, letting you appreciate the vermouth's many varied flavors. And since Carpano clocks in at 17 percent ABV, this is a perfect lunchtime or weekend cocktail; even three of these will barely get you tipsy.
Instructions: In a tall glass with ice, gently stir together 1 1/2 ounces of sweet vermouth and 4 ounces of soda water. Squeeze a lemon wedge on top.
Intermediate: Revised Manhattan
The classic Manhattan starts with a solid base of whiskey and just a little vermouth to sweeten it up. But here, we're bringing the vermouth to the forefront. Equal parts vermouth and a standard bourbon would be quite sweet, so we're opting for the powerful Booker's bourbon, which, at 126 proof, is powerful enough to stand up to the sweet vermouth.
Instructions: In a mixing glass with ice, combine 1 1/2 ounces each of overproof bourbon (like Booker's) and sweet vermouth. Add a dash of Angostura bitters. Stir until well chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon peel, twisting over the surface of the drink to spray its citrus oils all over, and a brandied cherry.
Vermouth tends to pair well with just about any spirit: gin, bourbon and even tequila. Here, we're letting Carpano add its sweet, complex character to a shaken silver tequila drink that ends up tasting an awful lot like a margarita, but with a lot more going on.
Instructions: In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine 1 1/2 ounces silver tequila, 1 ounce of sweet vermouth, 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice and 1/4 ounce agave syrup (equal part agave dissolved in hot water). Shake that all up and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel or two.
Blanc Vermouth, a Third Party for Cocktail Lovers
By ROBERT SIMONSON APRIL 12, 2016
For a very long time in America, choosing a vermouth was simple. Like political parties, there were really just two: the sweet red ones, which originated in Italy, and the dry white ones associated with France. You used the sweet in manhattans, the dry in martinis. Done.
In the last decade, however, the vermouth market, like that of nearly every other spirit category, has exploded with options. This has meant many more sweet and dry vermouth brands to choose from. But it has also meant a sudden surge for a dark-horse genre previously known mainly to Europeans.
This is blanc vermouth, or bianco, as the Italians call it. It’s dry like white, but sweet like red. And yet it’s really nothing like either.
“It’s my favorite thing,” said Ivy Mix, an owner of Leyenda, on Smith Street in Brooklyn. As at many cocktail bars these days, blanc vermouth can be found in a couple of drinks on the menu. “The nice thing about blanc vermouth is you get the best of both worlds: a dry and a sweet in one.”
Blanc vermouth is not new. The style was invented in the late 19th century in Chambéry, in southeastern France, though there are competing claims as to which producer made it first. The Italian biancos came later. Some people think the French and Italian versions are different enough to constitute two styles.
“Biancos tend to be very vanilla forward,” François Monti, a Belgian spirits expert based in Madrid and the author of “The Big Book of Vermouth,” wrote in an email.
Blancs, like the Dolin brand, are “more about flowers such as elderflower or fruits,” he added. “The only thing they really have in common is that Dolin and the biancos have little bittering agents and are not filled with cloves, cinnamon and other strong spices common with reds.” (While this is true, biancos and blanc are more like each other than they are like other vermouths.)
The style is widely popular in Europe. In fact, the mammoth vermouth producer Martini’s most popular product is its bianco. “Bianco drinkers are a bit like people who buy Christmas hit singles,” Mr. Monti said. “You don’t know who they are, but they’re everywhere.”
As American bartenders have done throughout history with other European spirits, they have taken blanc vermouth and used it in ways that Europeans don’t — primarily in cocktails.
At Fresh Kills, a new cocktail bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Richard Boccato, the bartender and an owner, uses a full two ounces of blanc vermouth in the Roofgarden, an old cocktail that originally called for dry vermouth.
Yana Volfson, the beverage director at the Manhattan restaurant Cosme, uses Dolin blanc in her mezcal drink Striptease, and deploys Carpano Bianco, which is made in Italy, in the tequila drink Benny Blanco. “With agave spirits, I find it to be softening,” Ms. Volfson said.
(Mr. Monti agreed. Blanc vermouth “works very well with spirits such as tequila or pisco, which have no strong association with other types of vermouths,” he said. “It helps take vermouth out of the whole boozy cocktails with aged, brown spirits or gin thing.”)
Sother Teague, the beverage director at Amor y Amargo in the East Village, said his use of blanc vermouth blooms as the weather warms.
“I definitely reach for it more for off-menu cocktails, now that it’s spring,” he said. “It’s lighter, it’s brighter. It’s kind of a middle place.”
A version of this article appears in print on April 13, 2016, on Page D4 of the New York edition with the headline: For Mixing Cocktails, a Third-Party Option. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe
We’re interested in your feedback on this page. Tell us what you think.
6 Classic Vermouth Cocktails That Deserve Your Respect
Vermouth may be having a renaissance moment in the modern craft cocktail scene, but don’t call it a comeback: it’s been here for years. (Decades, really.) The fortified wine we know and love has been an integral component in some of the most fundamental recipes of the cocktail canon — many of which were resurrected to even greater heights by intrepid bartenders in the decades following Prohibition.
And, after more than 250 years in the business, Cinzano has been around for all of it, from the day the Negroni made its debut in Florence to the first Manhattan slung on Broadway. So, we asked our friends at the storied Italian vermouth brand to help us put some of these classics on their proper pedestals. Below, just a small handful of the vermouth cocktails that paved the way:
Sometimes a bartender creates a drink, and sometimes a customer does. In this case, the Negroni was created at Bar Casoni in Florence sometime in the early 1920s when Count Camillo Negroni ordered an Americano — sweet vermouth, Campari and club soda — with gin in place of soda. It’s also worth noting that Count Camillo Negroni loved the American “wild west” to the point that he was often seen in full cowboy regalia.
Add ice and ingredients to glass and stir until chilled. Garnish with an orange peel.
Asking about the origin of the Martini may result in a very long and confusing string of explanations. It’s hard to say that the Martini was ever really “created.” Rather, this most iconic of cocktails evolved between 1882 and 1910, surviving a dozen variations on its name and ingredients, with the only binding factor being the presence of Gin and Vermouth.
- 1 ounce Cinzano Extra Dry Vermouth
- 3 ounces Gin
Add ice and ingredients to a mixing glass and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a twist or olives.
This cocktail was named after the 1884 Broadway show by William Gill called "Adonis," often cited as the first Broadway musical. While the show was in production, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel created this cocktail in its honor.
- 2 oz. Fino Sherry
- 2 oz. Cinzano Rosso Vermouth
- 2 dashes orange bitters
Add ice and ingredients to a mixing glass and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe. Twist a 1" strip orange peel over cocktail; drop peel into glass.
There are a handful of legends around its origin, but we defer to Gary Regan’s choice based on 1880s bartender William F. Mulhall’s account: “The Manhattan cocktail was invented by a man named Black, who kept a place ten doors below Houston Street on Broadway in the [eighteen-] sixties—probably the most famous drink in the world in its time.”
- 1 ounce Cinzano Rosso Vermouth
- 2 ounces Rye Whiskey
- 2 dashes Aromatic Bitters
Add ice and ingredients to a mixing glass and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with twist or a maraschino cherry.
Created by Gaspare Campari at Caffè Campari in the 1860s
Build directly in a highball glass on the rocks. Top with soda. Garnish with with an orange slice.
Created by Johnny Solon in 1906 at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and named after the newly opened Bronx Zoo. It ranked third in "The World's 10 Most Famous Cocktails in 1934," rivaled only by the Martini and the Manhattan.
- 2 ounces gin
- 1/2 ounce Cinzano Rosso Vermouth
- 1/2 ounce Cinzano Extra Dry Vermouth
- 1 ounce fresh orange juice
Add ice and ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with an orange peel or enjoy without a garnish.
Search result : 60 recipes with (vermouth)
10 rates
Add all the ingredients in a martini shaker with ice. Then shake, pour into martini glass and add a few cranberries to c.
8 rates
Stir gin and vermouth over ice cubes in a mixing glass. Strain into a cocktail glass. Add the cocktail onions and serve.
11 rates
Mix ingredients in a cocktail glass with chipped ice.
7 rates
Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.
0 rates
Stir apple brandy and Dubonnet with cracked ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Add the twist of lemon peel and serve.
1 rates
Pour the rum and vermouth into a cocktail glass. Sweeten to taste. Add a dash of Angostura bitters. Garnish with a maras.
2 rates
Pour Vodka, Vermouth and Rose's lime juice into shaker over ice. Shake with care not to bruise. Strain into chilled cock.
2 rates
Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.
1 rates
Shake with lots of ice, strain into glass.
1 rates
Combine vermouth and absolut peppar in a mixing glass over ice. Stir, strain into a salt-rimmed cocktail glass, and serv.
19 rates
Mix vodka, vermouth and creme de cassis and pour over a scoop of crushed ice in a cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice o.
1 rates
Pour into an old-fashioned glass with ice and stir. Garnish with flamed orange peel, and serve.
1 rates
stir all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.
0 rates
In a wine glass, add the bitters to the sugar. Then add the dubonnet and a tsp. of ice. Fill the glass with champagne, s.
1 rates
Stir with ice and strain into a chillled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon zest.
2 rates
Garnish with jalapeno pepper.
2 rates
Shake all ingredients with cracked ice and pour into a chilled cocktail glass.
1 rates
Pour all ingredients into an ice-filled mixing glass, stir, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a red cherry.
1 rates
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, strain into a cocktail glass, and se.
2 rates
Mix briefly over ice in a mixing glass and strain into a cocktail glass. Add a lemon or orange twist if desired, and ser.
0 rates
Pour all ingredients into an old-fashioned glass, and serve.
1 rates
Stir in a highball glass and fill with tonic water. Garnish with a slice of lemon.
0 rates
Serve without ice. The juice should be at room temperature.
0 rates
Shake well over ice cubes in a shaker, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and serve.
1 rates
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon peel, and serve.
2 rates
Stir dubonnet and creme de cassis over ice cubes in an aperitif glass. Fill with soda, add a twist of lemon peel, and se.
0 rates
Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with a lemon tw.
0 rates
Pour all ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir or shake, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
0 rates
stir together in a mixing glass filled with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a twist of lemon pe.
0 rates
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an olive.
1 rates
Pour all ingredients into a shaker cup. Add ice last. Stir ingredients (do not shake unless asked to). Strain into a chi.
0 rates
Stir all ingredients (except lemon peel) with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Add the twist of lemon peel and serv.
0 rates
Shake blended whiskey, Dubonnet, triple sec, and anis with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Add the twists of orang.
0 rates
Shake the Gin and Vermouth with ice in a shaker. Pour into a large Martini glass. Pour the tabasco into the finished dri.
1 rates
Pour gin and vermouth into a cocktail glass. Squeeze a twist of lemon peel over the glass, drop into glass, and serve.
0 rates
Mix into a shot glass, and splash the bacardi on the very top. Be careful not to mix it into the rest of the drink. Then.
0 rates
Stir all ingredients well with cracked ice, strain contents into a cocktail glass, and serve.
0 rates
Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry.
0 rates
Float vermouth on top of chilled Dubonnet in a red wine glass and serve.
0 rates
Pour dubonnet over ice cubes in a collins glass, and fill with ginger ale. Add a spiral of lemon peel, and serve.
0 rates
Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.
0 rates
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass, and serv.
2 rates
Shake all ingredients well in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a 12 oz beer pilsner and chug.
1 rates
Shake all ingredients (except carbonated water) with ice and strain into a highball glass over two ice cubes. Fill with .
0 rates
stir all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.
1 rates
Pour into a mixing glass filled with ice, and stir well. Strain into a chilled martini glass, add a twist of lemon peel.
0 rates
Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.
0 rates
stir all ingredients together in a mixing glass half-filled with cracked ice. Strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.
0 rates
Serve on ice - peach juice to taste.
0 rates
Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.
Refine results
Top 10 Cocktails
1001 Cocktails - Copyright © 1997-2017
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий