Vermouth
An aromatised fortified wine, flavoured with botanicals that must include wormwood. Usually 15 to 18% alcohol. Because it is wine rather than spirit, an opened bottle oxidises and should be refrigerated.
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Quick Facts
Usage
Used as a modifier in stirred drinks rather than as a base. Sweet vermouth builds the Manhattan and the Negroni; dry vermouth builds the Martini. Also drinkable on its own over ice as a low-strength aperitif.
Vermouth is wine. That is not a technicality: it oxidises exactly like wine, and an open bottle left in a warm cupboard is finished within weeks.
Most bad Martinis are not badly made. They are made with vermouth that died months ago.
Wine, fortified and aromatised
Vermouth starts as wine. It is fortified with neutral spirit to raise the strength, then flavoured with botanicals. The name comes from Wermut, the German for wormwood, and wormwood is the botanical the category is named for and traditionally built on.
That puts it at fifteen to eighteen per cent in most cases. Stronger than wine, far weaker than any spirit it sits next to on the shelf. It belongs in the fridge with the wine, not the cupboard with the gin.
Why it goes off, and what that costs you
Once the bottle is open, oxygen gets to it and the same thing happens that happens to any open wine. It flattens, then it turns papery, then it turns sour. Refrigerated, an open bottle holds up for around a month. In a warm cupboard it is noticeably worse within a fortnight.
This matters more than any brand choice. A Martini made with fresh supermarket vermouth beats one made with an expensive bottle opened last winter. If your stirred drinks have been disappointing, check the vermouth before you blame the gin.
Buy small bottles. A half bottle you finish is worth more than a full one you do not.
Sweet and dry
Sweet vermouth. Red, richer, noticeably sweeter. The Manhattan and the Negroni are both built on it. Sweetness varies a good deal between producers, so a recipe that tastes cloying with one bottle may be balanced with another.
Dry vermouth. Pale, crisp, much less sweet. The Martini’s other half, and the ingredient most often blamed for a bad one when the real problem is its age.
Drink it on its own
Vermouth is a drink, not only an ingredient. Poured over ice with a slice of orange or lemon, it is a decent aperitif. At fifteen to eighteen per cent it is a fraction of the strength of the spirits beside it.
It is also the fastest way to learn what your bottle actually tastes like, which makes it easier to judge how much a cocktail needs.
Top Tips
- Refrigerate after opening. It is wine, and it behaves like wine.
- Sweetness varies a good deal between producers. If a Negroni tastes cloying, change the bottle before you change the ratio.
Common Questions
Does vermouth need refrigerating?
Yes, once opened. It is a fortified wine and it oxidises. Refrigerated it holds for around a month; in a warm cupboard it fades within a fortnight.
Is vermouth a spirit?
No. It is wine that has been fortified and aromatised, usually landing at 15 to 18% alcohol.
What is the difference between sweet and dry vermouth?
Sweet is red, richer and noticeably sweeter, and builds the Manhattan and the Negroni. Dry is pale, crisp and much less sweet, and builds the Martini.
Can I drink vermouth on its own?
Yes. Over ice with a slice of citrus it makes a good low-strength aperitif, and it is the quickest way to learn what your bottle tastes like.
Guide by Jerry Can Spirits