Vermouth is one of those drinks that most people have tasted without ever really thinking about. It is in a Negroni, in a Martini, in a Spritz. It is in more of your favourite cocktails than you probably realise. But as a drink in its own right, poured over ice with a twist of orange and nothing else, it is increasingly worth knowing about. And the best vermouths being made right now, whether from small Italian producers or independent English distilleries using foraged botanicals, are genuinely exciting.
This guide covers everything: what vermouth actually is, how it is made, the different styles, how to drink it, and the best bottles to try. Whether you are buying for cocktails or just want something good to pour before dinner, this is where to start.
What is vermouth?
Vermouth is a fortified wine flavoured with botanicals. That is the definition, and it is a useful one to hold onto, because it tells you most of what you need to know about how it works and what to expect from it.
Start with the wine. Vermouth begins as a base wine, typically a neutral white, which is then fortified with a grape spirit to raise the alcohol content. Into that fortified base goes a blend of botanicals: roots, barks, flowers, herbs and spices, the specific combination varying by producer and style. The mixture is then sweetened to a greater or lesser degree depending on the type being made.
The result is a drink with more complexity than wine, more approachability than spirits, and a bittersweet, aromatic character that makes it brilliant both on its own and in cocktails. Vermouth sits at around 15 to 18 percent ABV: lower than most spirits, higher than wine, and perfectly positioned as something to drink before a meal.
The name vermouth comes from Wermut, the German word for wormwood. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is the botanical that has defined the drink since its origins in 18th-century Turin, lending a characteristic herbal bitterness to the finished product.
What is vermouth made of?
Every vermouth producer has their own recipe, and those recipes are closely guarded. But the building blocks are consistent across the category.
- Base wine: usually a neutral white wine chosen for its stability and ability to carry botanicals without competing with them. Some producers use red wine for sweet red vermouth.
- Grape spirit: used to fortify the base wine and stop fermentation. Raises the alcohol to the level needed for preservation and balance.
- Botanicals: the heart of any vermouth. Wormwood is the only botanical required by law, but most recipes include dozens of others. Common additions include gentian root, cinchona bark, citrus peel, vanilla, cloves, cardamom, chamomile, elderflower, and fresh herbs.
- Sugar: added to sweeten the finished product, from almost none in a dry vermouth to a significant amount in a sweet red. Caramel is sometimes used for colour in red styles.
The botanical blend is macerated in the wine or spirit, sometimes both, and then the whole lot is blended and rested before bottling. The finest producers take this process seriously: sourcing botanicals from specific regions, using cold maceration to preserve delicate aromatics, or foraging fresh herbs to use alongside dried ones.
Is vermouth a fortified wine?
Yes. Vermouth is classified as a fortified wine, alongside Port, Sherry, Madeira and Marsala. What these drinks have in common is that grape spirit has been added to the base wine, raising the alcohol content above what fermentation alone would achieve.
But vermouth has one thing that sets it apart from other fortified wines: it must, by law, contain wormwood. That botanical requirement, along with the broader blend of herbs and spices, is what makes vermouth an aromatised fortified wine, a distinct subcategory with its own rules and character.
Types of vermouth: what are the differences?
The vermouth category covers a range of styles, and understanding the differences makes choosing much easier.
Dry vermouth
The palest and driest style, with a crisp, herbal, lightly floral character and minimal sweetness. French dry vermouth, sometimes called French vermouth, is the classic reference point. This is what you use in a dry Martini, and it is also brilliant on its own over ice with a slice of lemon. The dryness comes from very little added sugar, which means the botanicals and the wine come through more clearly.
Sweet vermouth / Red vermouth / Vermouth rosso
The richest and most recognisable style. Sweet red vermouth, also called vermouth rosso or rosso vermouth, has a deep amber colour, a bittersweet flavour, and layers of spice, dried fruit and herbs underneath. This is the vermouth in a Negroni and a Manhattan. Italian vermouth is the classic reference here: Turin has been making sweet red vermouth since the 18th century and remains the benchmark.
White vermouth / Bianco
Sweeter than dry but paler than red, with a floral, vanilla-led character that is somewhere between the two main styles. White vermouth, also called bianco or blanc, is often overlooked but brilliant on its own over ice with soda and a citrus garnish. It also works well in lighter cocktails.
Rose vermouth
A newer style, pink in colour and usually somewhere between bianco and rosso in sweetness. Made with red grapes or with the addition of botanicals that give colour and a slightly more berry-forward character. Less common but worth exploring.
Natural vermouth
An emerging category, particularly interesting for people who care about how their food and drink is made. Natural vermouth is made from organically or biodynamically farmed grapes, with a greater emphasis on fresh and foraged botanicals rather than concentrated extracts, and typically less added sugar than conventional equivalents. The results tend to be more alive and expressive, with a botanical freshness that conventional vermouths can lack.
What does vermouth taste like?
That depends almost entirely on which style you are drinking. But across the category, a few things tend to hold true.
Vermouth is bitter. Not aggressively so in most cases, but the wormwood and the other bittering botanicals leave a characteristic edge that lifts the drink and makes it feel appetising rather than cloying. This is why vermouth works so well before food: the bitterness stimulates the appetite.
Vermouth is aromatic. The botanical blend gives every vermouth a complex nose: herbs, spice, citrus, florals and woody notes depending on the recipe. This is what makes it so useful in cocktails, where it adds aromatic depth that a plain spirit cannot achieve alone.
And vermouth has sweetness and acidity in tension. The best vermouths balance these against each other and against the bitterness, so that no single element dominates. That balance is what makes a good vermouth enjoyable to drink on its own, and not just a cocktail ingredient.
Where does vermouth come from?
Italian vermouth
Turin and Piedmont in northern Italy are where modern vermouth was born, in the 18th century. Italian vermouth, particularly sweet red vermouth, remains the benchmark for the category. The classic Italian style tends towards richer, spicier and more bitter profiles, with botanicals sourced from the Alps and the Mediterranean. Brands like Martini, Cinzano and Carpano have defined the style globally, but the most interesting Italian vermouths today come from small producers working with traditional recipes and quality ingredients.
French vermouth
The south of France, particularly around Chambery and Roussillon, developed a drier, more delicate style of vermouth. French vermouth tends to be paler, lighter in body and less sweet than its Italian counterpart, with floral and citrus notes at the fore. This is the classic base for a dry Martini.
English vermouth
English vermouth is a more recent development, and a genuinely exciting one. A small number of independent producers in the UK are making vermouth from British wine and botanicals, foraging fresh herbs, coastal plants and flowers to create drinks that feel rooted in their landscape in a way that imported vermouths cannot be. Vault Aperitivo in London is one of the best examples: three distinct styles, all built on English wine and British botanicals, and all brilliantly made.
Spanish vermouth / Vermut
In Spain, vermouth, known as vermut, has a strong cultural tradition. The Sunday vermouth ritual, where people gather for tapas and a glass of vermut before lunch, is still very much alive in cities like Barcelona and Madrid. Spanish vermut tends to be rich, aromatic and sweeter than French styles, often served on ice with a slice of orange and an olive. Natural vermouth producers in Catalonia and other regions are doing particularly interesting things right now.
How to drink vermouth
There are more good answers to this question than most people realise.
On its own over ice
The best way to understand any vermouth is to drink it on its own. Pour a generous measure over plenty of ice, add a garnish, and give it a few minutes to open up as the ice dilutes it slightly. A dry vermouth wants a lemon twist or an olive. A sweet red wants a slice of orange or a Maraschino cherry. A bianco is lovely with a strip of orange peel.
With soda
A vermouth and soda is one of the most underrated low-alcohol drinks going. Fill a glass with ice, add a good measure of vermouth, top with cold soda water, and garnish. Refreshing, complex and about half the alcohol of most cocktails.
In a Negroni
Equal parts gin, sweet red vermouth, and Campari or similar bitter liqueur, stirred over ice and served with an orange peel. The Negroni is one of the great cocktails and vermouth is non-negotiable in it. Use a good sweet red vermouth and the difference is immediate.
In a Martini
Gin and dry vermouth, stirred or shaken, served cold with an olive or a lemon twist. The ratio is a matter of personal preference and considerable argument, but the vermouth is the difference between a Martini and a glass of cold gin. Use a quality dry vermouth and do not be stingy with it.
In a spritz
White vermouth or a bianco with prosecco or sparkling wine and a splash of soda makes a brilliant aperitivo spritz. Lighter and more interesting than an Aperol Spritz, and easy to make at home.
How to store vermouth
Vermouth is wine, and like wine it oxidises once opened. Unlike spirits, you cannot leave an open bottle on the shelf indefinitely.
Once opened, keep your vermouth in the fridge and aim to use it within four to six weeks. This is particularly important for dry vermouth, which is more delicate than the sweeter styles. A red vermouth or bianco will keep a little longer, but they all benefit from refrigeration after opening. If your vermouth has been sitting on the shelf for months, it is probably past its best: taste it before you use it, and if it tastes flat or oxidised, replace it.
Our vermouth picks at Forest Wines
We stock a small but carefully chosen selection of vermouths and aperitivos, with a particular focus on producers making things we find genuinely interesting. Here is what is on the shelf right now.
Forest, Red Vermouth, Vault Aperitivo
London, England | 16.6% ABV | £43.00
Vault's take on a bittersweet red vermouth. English wine gently sweetened with demerara sugar and blended with rhubarb root, orange, wormwood, nettle, pine and fresh rosemary. Rich, complex and brilliant in a Negroni or a Manhattan. Also excellent over ice with soda and a wedge of orange. Made by a London distillery that uses cold distillation to keep the botanicals fresh and alive.
Coastal, Dry Vermouth, Vault Aperitivo
London, England | 17.6% ABV | £43.00
A mineral, refreshing dry vermouth built on English Bacchus wine with oyster shells, olive leaf, Amalfi lemon and foraged coastal herbs including rock samphire, sea purslane and salty fingers. The result is genuinely unlike anything else in the category: saline, crisp and oyster-like. Best over ice on its own, or as the vermouth in a dirty or dry Martini.
Meadow, White Vermouth, Vault Aperitivo
London, England | 16.6% ABV | £43.00
A herbaceous and floral white vermouth made with lemon verbena, liquorice root, meadow hay, thyme, meadowsweet and dandelion, blended with English wine and a touch of honey for gentle sweetness. Beautiful on its own over ice with a strip of lemon peel, or as a lighter spritz base. Floral, delicate and full of character.
Bitter, Rosemary & Orange, Vault Aperitivo
London, England | 29.6% ABV | £45.00
Vault's take on a bitter aperitivo: natural bitterness from orange peel, gentian, fig, oregano, sage and fresh rosemary, all built on an English wine base. Brilliant over ice with a fresh orange peel, or as the bitter component in a Spritz or Negroni. More balanced and more interesting than Campari, with a freshness that the botanicals make possible.
Muz Vermut Natural, Partida Creus
Penedes, Catalunya, Spain | 1 litre | £31.00
A natural vermouth from one of Catalonia's most respected producers. Made from organic white and red grapes with citrus and alpine spices, Muz is the vermut you want at the start of a long Spanish lunch: rich, aromatic and complex, with a herbal depth and a bittersweet finish. Serve over ice with a slice of orange and a few olives on the side.
Vermouth cocktail recipes to try at home
You do not need much equipment or skill to make a good vermouth cocktail. Here are four of the most satisfying.
The Negroni
Equal parts sweet red vermouth, gin and Campari or bitter aperitivo. Stir all three over plenty of ice in a mixing glass until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a strip of orange peel, expressed over the drink first. Adjust ratios to taste: more gin makes it drier, more vermouth makes it richer.
The dry Martini
Add gin and dry vermouth to a mixing glass in a ratio of around 5:1 or 4:1, depending on how much vermouth you enjoy. Stir over ice until very cold. Strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or an olive. Do not shake it. Stirring keeps it clear and silky.
Vermouth and soda
The simplest one. A generous pour of white vermouth or bianco over plenty of ice, topped with cold soda water. Garnish with a strip of orange peel and a green olive if you have one. Around 120 to 150ml of vermouth to 100ml of soda is a good starting point.
Vermut with tapas
The Spanish approach and, honestly, the best one for an unhurried afternoon. Sweet Spanish vermut over ice with a slice of orange, served alongside olives, good crisps, anchovies or whatever else is in the kitchen. No recipe required.
We also stock a selection of pre-made Negroni and cocktail mixes from Black Lines Drinks and Whitebox, if you want something even more immediate. No shaking required.
Come in and explore
We stock vermouth, aperitivos and botanical spirits at Forest Wines, with a particular focus on independent producers making things with real character. Browse our spirits and aperitivo selection on the website, or come in to the shop in Walthamstow. We are always happy to talk you through what is on the shelf and find the right bottle for what you have in mind.
