Vermouth may not be the first spirit to come to mind when you're mulling over which cocktail you'd like to have in hand. But here's the thing: it absolutely should be. With such a wide variety of vermouth, not only is this spirit one of the most important when it comes to balancing drinks, but it is a star in its own right. Seriously. Grab the big bottle of vermouth, you've got some drinks to make.
Americano
Equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth with some fizzy club soda is all it takes to make a cocktail that's perfectly bitter and won't ruin the vibe, since it's nice and low in alcohol.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces sweet vermouth
- 1½ ounces Campari
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Orange slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice, sweet vermouth, and Campari.
- Top off with club soda.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with an orange slice.
Martinez
Gin and sweet vermouth make for an excellent pair, with the herbaceous flavors playing off each other so smoothly. A drop of maraschino liqueur and a few dashes of bitters? Welcome to the Martinez.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces sweet vermouth
- 1½ ounces gin
- ¼ ounce maraschino liqueur
- 1-2 dashes aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, sweet vermouth, gin, maraschino liqueur, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with an orange peel.
Helpful Hack
Give the most classic of gin and sweet vermouth cocktails a spin: the classic Negroni. Those juicy and bitter flavors come from Campari instead of the maraschino liqueur and bitters.
Old Pal
Ready for some outstanding news? The vermouth-forward old pal cocktail uses the beloved equal parts approach. No need to wrack your memory for how many ounces.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dry vermouth
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce whiskey
- Ice
- Lemon peel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, dry vermouth, Campari, and whiskey.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a lemon peel.
Quick Tip
If you want to explore more boulevards of equal-part drinks with bourbon and vermouth, then sight your sights on the boulevardier.
Hanky Panky
Hanky panky is certainly an old-fashioned phrase, but it's suiting for this golden-age cocktail. Gin and sweet vermouth once again pair up, only this time the bitterness kicks up a few notches thanks to an industry favorite: Fernet!
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces sweet vermouth
- 1½ ounces gin
- 2-3 dashes Fernet
- Ice
- Lemon ribbon for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, sweet vermouth, gin, and Fernet.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a lemon ribbon.
Need to Know
If the bitter herbaceous flavors of Fernet and gin are a no-go for you, consider something a bit smokier bursting with cherry. Is there such a drink? The answer to your problem is the blood and sand, with equal parts sweet vermouth, scotch, cherry liqueur, and orange juice.
Bijou
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. It's no surprise bartenders play with combination after combination of gin and sweet vermouth. Enter green Chartreuse, a sweet and herbaceous player in the bijou.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces sweet vermouth
- 1½ ounces gin
- 1 ounce green chartreuse
- 1 dash orange bitters
- Ice
- lemon peel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, sweet vermouth, gin, green chartreuse, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a lemon peel.
Vermouth and Tonic
Grab your favorite white vermouth or dry vermouth and some tonic water. Sorry gin, we'll see you tomorrow night.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces dry vermouth
- Crushed ice
- Tonic water to top off
- Lemon wheel and thyme sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball or wine glass, add crushed ice and dry vermouth.
- Top off with tonic.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and thyme sprig.
Read More
Spanish Vermouth on the Rocks
This is hands down one of the most difficult vermouth recipes to pull off. Just kidding, grab some Spanish vermouth and don't forget the garnish, or else it's just not the same.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Spanish sweet red vermouth
- Ice
- Splash of club soda, optional
- Olive and orange slice for garnish, mandatory
Instructions
- In a rocks glass, add ice and Spanish vermouth.
- Add a splash of club soda, if desired.
- Absolutely garnish with an olive and orange slice.
Satan's Whiskers
Hitch a ride back to the 1930s with this devilish citrus and dry vermouth cocktail.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce dry vermouth
- ¾ ounce sweet vermouth
- ¾ ounce gin
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ ounce orange liqueur
- 1-2 dashes orange bitters
- Ice
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, gin, orange juice, orange liqueur, and bitters.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with an orange peel.
Tuxedo Cocktail
Nothing says extravagant like absinthe, and nothing speaks that same extravagance like naming a cocktail tuxedo. But this blanc vermouth cocktail does exactly that.
Ingredients
- ¼ ounce absinthe
- ½ ounce white vermouth
- 2 ounces gin
- ¼ ounce maraschino liqueur
- 2-3 dashes orange bitters
- Ice
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass.
- In chilled glass, add absinthe.
- Swirl to coat the inside of the glass, then discard.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, white vermouth, gin, maraschino liqueur, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into the prepared glass.
- Garnish with an orange peel.
50/50 Martini
This martini is exactly as it's described: half spirit and half vermouth. Easy enough to remember.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces dry vermouth
- 1½ ounces vodka OR gin
- 1 dash orange bitters
- Ice
- Lemon ribbon for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, dry vermouth, vodka, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a lemon ribbon.
Quick Tip
For a vermouth style martini that isn't as boozy, give the bamboo sherry cocktail or adonis cocktail a try. Instead of vodka or gin, sherry serves as the base.
Vermouth Spritzer
Flavorless club soda means that the sweet and herbaceous vermouth is the star. The added bonus of bubbles sure doesn't hurt.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces sweet vermouth
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Orange slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball, rocks, or cocktail glass, add ice and sweet vermouth.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with an orange slice.
Make Vermouth the Star
Vermouth is so much more than just another ingredient to support liquors in a Manhattan or martini. It's a spirit to be enjoyed straight or take a leading role in a drink. You've wanted to explore a world of lighter cocktails, new-to-you cocktails, cocktails to blow you away. And you've found the perfect place to start that journey.
