Best Vermouths Buyer’s Guide
Vermouth! It is an unsung hero in most of the classic cocktails that you can try! This drink is a fortified and aromatized wine with an ancient history linked to ancient Indian, Chinese, and Greek civilizations. Different botanical ingredients were part of the process for medical benefits, such as wormwood, which you may have heard of. As it is bitter, it was a medicine used to cure stomach problems. Note that wormwood, or wermut, was a German word that gave way to the naming of vermouth. Over the years, it has evolved into a drink for enjoyment instead of being a medical tonic.
Planning to try out vermouth for the first time? The below buying guide is going to assist you in purchasing the best vermouth for yourself:
What Are Different Types of Vermouth?
If you haven’t tried this drink before, then picking one can be difficult. However, we are going to tell you all about the three different types so you can pick the best for your preferences:
Sweet
It is also known as red, rojo, or rosso as it has a darker color and sweeter taste compared to the white vermouth style. Traditionally, the sweet type of wine was made using a red wine base. But now, it is made using a white wine base. Some important ingredients present in this wine include alcohol, botanicals, and it is made sweeter by adding 15% sugar. You can pair this type of vermouth with rye, scotch, bourbon, and dark rum to enjoy your drink.
Dry
Typically, this style is bone dry and has no sugar. White wine grapes are also part of the process. Similar to the sweet vermouth, dry wine also has different botanicals, fruits, and alcohol. This type has more citrus and herbaceous flavor in comparison to the sweet vermouths.
You can pair it well with light spirits like vodka, gin, and tequila. Moreover, you can also use it with sweet type and sweetened liqueurs for making a cocktail.
Bianco/Blanc
In France, you will see the blanc type, and in Italy, you will see the bianco version. Blanc vermouth will be lying between the above two types and will range in sweetness from one to another brand. This style has a light floral or herbal flavor.
It is highly versatile in taste. You can use it for its sweet flavor to complement a dry cocktail. You can also drink it straight over ice or in a Highball with seltzer, providing you with an outstanding balance of sweetness.
What Are the Important Ingredients of Vermouth?
This drink has to be 75% wine derived from white grapes, and the remaining portion is a mixture of sugar, botanicals, and alcohol. The blend of botanicals and selection of wine can be different depending on the producer’s recipe.
Some of the different botanicals used in the making of vermouth are as follows:
Citrus
Orange, lemon, lime, bergamot orange, pomelo peel, and bitter orange.
Bitters
Sweet flag, cinchona bark, wormwood, angelica root, licorice root, cascarilla, and orris root.
Spices
Star anise, clove, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, vanilla, tonka bean, vanilla, and mace.
Herbs
Orris root, gallic rose, Kieffer lime leaves, sage, honeysuckle flower, chamomile, lavender, oregano, juniper, ginger, St.John’s wort, marjoram, and hyssop.
How Do You Serve and Store Vermouth?
Here are a few ways for storing and serving vermouth:
Serving
Serve the vermouth over ice or mix it with soda, water, or tonic. The ABV (alcohol by volume) in vermouth is 16% to 18%, so it acts as a low-alcohol option for vodka and tonic. The white amber and rose vermouth should be served cooler than red vermouth, and both should be cooler than room temperature.
You can also use vermouth as a cocktail ingredient. Some of the most popular cocktails that use vermouth include the Negroni, Manhattan, and Martini. If you like, you can also make a lighter cocktail, make a white Negroni with the help of Little Blanc, Suze gentian liqueur, and gin.
Storage
As said before, vermouth is a fortified drink— you can keep it as long as you want compared to regular wine. But unlike the spirits, an open bottle oxidizes and deteriorates over time. Once you open your bottle, keep it inside your fridge, and it will stay good for three months.
What Are Some Modern Uses of Vermouths?
Nowadays, vermouth is used in two different ways:
Beverage
It has become a common cocktail ingredient. People use it due to its lower alcohol content with strong spirits as their base for a pleasant herbal flavor. Note that vermouth is an essential ingredient in the Martini, which is one of the most famous cocktails.
Cooking
Vermouth is a great substitute for white wine in different food recipes because it is more flavorful than wine. You can also use it in other dishes as well. The herbs present within the vermouth will make this a good ingredient in sauces for fish recipes and marinades for meats like chicken and pork.
Best Vermouths FAQs
Q: Can I drink vermouth straight?
A: You can drink it straight in a chilled glass over frozen grapes or ice. However, some people drink with some citrus twist to complement the dark vermouth. In the case of lighter vermouth, they use lemon.
Q: Can drinking old vermouth make you sick?
A: It will not make you sick, but this will be unpleasant for you in terms of taste. Using old vermouth may ruin your cocktail.
Q: How to use old vermouth?
A: You can use it in many dishes. Add it in place of red wine for making chocolate sauces or jams. Moreover, you can also use dry type in different savory recipes as it pairs well with seafood, shellfish, and poultry.