Drinks · aromatised wine
Vermouth — wine that behaves like a spirit
Vermouth is the most underrated bottle on the shelf. Its real problem is simple: most people keep an open bottle on the counter for a year and then taste it. Vermouth is wine — it goes sour. Fresh vermouth is a different drink entirely.
In short
- Strength
- 14.5–22% vol, usually 15–18%
- Base
- white wine, fortified with spirit
- Flavour
- wormwood, cinnamon, peel, vanilla, quinine
- Serving
- chilled, over ice, with a citrus twist
- Open bottle
- in the fridge, 1–3 months
- In cocktails
- Martini, Negroni, Manhattan, Americano
Open vermouth goes in the fridge — the one rule that rescues its reputation. A bottle left on the counter for a month will be sour.
Three types
All three work as an aperitif on their own, not only as a cocktail ingredient.
Pale, herbal, low in sugar. The base of a Martini; also good on its own over ice with an olive.
White and sweeter, vanilla and flowers. With tonic and ice it makes a simple summer aperitif.
Red and sweet, caramel and spice. Negroni and Manhattan; also fine alone over ice with an orange twist.
Less common, berry-led. Fits the same role as bianco.
A close relative, more bitter and citrusy. The same uses.
Three drinks with vermouth
All three take a minute and need nothing but ice.
Vermouth and tonic
75 ml bianco, 100 ml tonic, plenty of ice, a slice of orange. Light and low in alcohol.
Americano
Equal parts sweet vermouth and bitter red liqueur, soda on top, orange twist.
Negroni
Equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and bitter liqueur. Stirred with ice, never shaken.
Dry Martini
Five parts gin to one part dry vermouth, stirred cold with ice, lemon twist on top.
Why vermouth works as an aperitif
The point of an aperitif is to open the appetite, and bitterness and acidity do that better than sweetness. At 15–18% vol it is light enough to drink before a meal without ending the evening at its start.
It goes with olives, salted nuts, hard cheese, pickled vegetables and crisps. That is Mediterranean logic, and it works perfectly well in a Tallinn flat.
Common questions
How long does an open bottle of vermouth last?
In the fridge, 1–3 months; dry styles slightly less than sweet. On the counter it is sour within a month.
Is vermouth a spirit?
No, it is a fortified wine at 15–18% vol — halfway between wine and spirits.
Which vermouth goes in a Negroni?
Sweet red, rosso. Dry vermouth gives a completely different drink.
Can vermouth be drunk neat?
Yes — chilled, over ice, with a twist. That is mostly how it is drunk in Italy.