You know it’s an essential part of your go-to cocktail, but did you know that you can drink it on its own? Read on for your essential guide to vermouth.

Is vermouth a spirit or a wine?

Vermouth is an aromatised, fortified wine infused with an array of botanicals, herbs and spices, with the addition of a distilled spirit that increases the ABV, often grape spirit or brandy. Unlike spirits, vermouth itself is not distilled, simply fortified like port or sherry.

The possibilities for botanicals are endless, often local or native and an expression of terroir (a sense of place from where the vermouth is made). Some expressions may have up to 50 unique botanicals (and some). Despite this, there is one crucial herb that makes vermouth, well, vermouth (and not just any old aromatised wine) – artemisia, or wormwood, a plant that is the quintessential bittering agent of vermouth.

What does vermouth taste like?

Herbal, fruity, bitter, floral, spicy… A vermouth’s flavour profile is all very dependent on the blend of botanicals used. While some lean heavily into citrus like orange and lemon peel, others rely more on herbs and spices for a more savoury, bitter taste.

Where the vermouth is made can play a big part, too, especially when utilising native botanicals. Australian vermouth is a prime example of this, as our native botanicals can be quite bold and powerful thanks to our climate – think pepperberry and lemon myrtle.

And of course, there’s dry versus sweet. Unlike the ‘dry’ in your Martini order, we are in fact talking about sugar here. Dry vermouth is generally light in colour, crisp, saline, citrusy and floral, while sweet vermouths are usually dark (red or ‘rosso’), rich and unctuous, offering a more herbaceous, spice-driven flavour profile.

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How do you drink vermouth?

Vermouth has long been an essential cocktail ingredient in countless classics we can’t get enough of, providing balance, depth and complexity. Where would we be without red, sweet vermouth for our Negroni, or a bright, aromatic dry vermouth to soften the blow of our vodka Martini?

However that’s not to say vermouth can’t (or shouldn’t) be enjoyed on its own – to be fair, this would be the best way to dive into a quality vermouth’s depth and complexity. A splash of soda or tonic doesn’t hurt, either. I’d suggest finding yourself a bottle of Partida Creus MUZ, poured over ice with a fresh wedge of orange, maybe even an olive, or even simply chilled, neat and straight from the fridge.

Should vermouth be refrigerated? How long does it keep once opened?

Once opened, yes, without question. Too often (still) do I walk into venues and shed a single tear for the lonely bottle of vermouth, sitting on the back bar, exposed to the elements, slowly decaying before it gives some poor, unfortunate soul the worst Negroni of their life.

The base of vermouth is wine, so treat it as such, and despite being fortified, the additional alcohol or botanicals aren’t enough to protect it from losing its energy, complexity or depth of flavour to oxidation or exposure to excessive heat.

Refrigeration significantly slows down oxidation and hinders any bacterial nasties. Most open bottles should last a couple months before taking a turn. Unopened bottles can live at room temperature, just avoid any significant heat or direct sunlight.

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