The Spirit World

Not all vermouth is white
Not all vermouth is dry
Some vermouth is sweet and red
Like grandma’s rhubarb pie.

Yet don’t just prep Manhattans
Or mix a large Negroni
Try some straight
And on the rocks
But hold the pepperoni!

“Hold the pepperoni?” On behalf of myself and The Spirit World editors, I must apologize for the unspeakable silliness of that poem. But its point nonetheless remains valid.

Sweet, red vermouth—which is typically used as a cocktail ingredient in the US—tastes pretty darn good all by itself. And in fact, that’s the way that we drink it here in Spain.

For those of you unfamiliar with sweet, red vermouth, it’s a fortified wine that is flavored and aromatized with various (and typically secret) herbs and spices. I can say with some degree of confidence that it is both sweeter and redder than the vermouth used to make Dry Martinis.

The most famous (and abundant) brands are Cinzano and Martini & Rossi. But in Spain, many bars carry obscure local brands—and these are often served on tap.

A glass of sweet, red vermouth (or “vermut” in Spanish) is often taken during the daily “aperitivo”—which is that sacred ritual of having a quick snort at the local bar before going home to a large, lengthy Spanish lunch.

In some parts of Spain, in fact, the apertivo event is referred to as “un vermut.” As in, “Let’s meet for ‘un vermut’ at 1pm.” This phrase is used regardless of what the attendees are planning to drink.

So how exactly do we prepare a “classic” glass of Spanish-style vermouth over here? It’s very simple.

Just add ice to a tall, thin “tubo” glass. Fill the glass with sweet, red vermouth. Garnish with a slice of lemon or—as I and many other Spaniards prefer—a couple of olives skewered with a toothpick.

But please…do not garnish with a slice of pepperoni.