What Is Vermouth?
Vermouth is a fortified wine flavored with botanicals, herbs, spices, roots, and bark, and typically categorized as either dry (white) or sweet (red).
More detail
"Fortified" means a neutral spirit (usually brandy) is added to raise the alcohol content beyond what fermentation alone achieves, and "aromatized" means it's further flavored with a proprietary blend of botanicals, which varies by brand and is often a closely guarded recipe.
Where it's used
Developed in 18th-century Italy and France as a way to make cheaper wine more palatable and shelf-stable, it became essential to classic cocktails, dry vermouth in a martini, sweet vermouth in a Manhattan or Negroni, once cocktail culture took off in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Substitutes
Dry sherry can stand in for dry vermouth, and a splash of port or Madeira with a dash of bitters approximates sweet vermouth in a pinch.
FAQ
Does vermouth need to be refrigerated after opening?
Yes, unlike hard spirits, vermouth is wine-based and starts to oxidize and lose flavor once opened. Refrigerate it and use within about a month for best flavor.
What's the difference between dry and sweet vermouth?
Dry (white) vermouth is lighter and less sweet, used in martinis; sweet (red) vermouth is darker, richer, and sweeter, used in Manhattans and Negronis. They aren't interchangeable in most classic cocktail recipes.
