The Bar Journal

If you think you don’t like vermouth, you’re wrong. It’s understandable. Like most Anlo/american folks,  you’ve probably just been drinking it incorrectly for, like, ever.

The road to vermouth appreciation is an easy one, though. Just follow these steps:

Step One: That old bottle you’ve had for years? Pour it down the drain. It will be oxidized and beyond its shelf life—the key culprit in vermouth’s wrongful vilification.

Step Two: Think beyond trendy or cool staff. Sweet vermouth brands are fine to mix with, but there’s much more complex stuff out there that will open your world to rich and delicate tastes you never knew existed such as M&R Rosato. Try something new..

Step Three: Drink it on its own. Slightly chilled and/or on the rocks. I know how crazy this must sound as you’ve probably only used drops of it in a Manhattan or a Martini, but it is delightful. There are things that Europeans like that don’t really work in the U.S.—siestas, Smart cars, Speedos, Fiat 500—but drinking vermouth as an aperitif is one thing that does.

Step Four: Keep drinking it. A bottle really only lasts few months and, unless you’ll be done with it in a week, stick it in the fridge.

Step Five: Repeat steps three and four. And then maybe give that siesta a try.

SALUTE !