5 Vermouth-Forward Cocktails That Aren’t the Manhattan

These drinks give aromatized wine main character energy, letting vermouth do the heavy lifting.

With a mélange of herbs, roots, spices and citrus, all in an approachable low ABV wine base, vermouth is a bartender’s secret weapon. But if you’re relegating it to a mere whisper in a dry Martini or even as the modifier in a Manhattan or Negroni, you’re missing out. Whether you grab a version that hails from Italy, France, or beyond, vermouth has an uncanny ability to ramp up complexity in so many classic or modern libations. Abandon restraint and mix up these five cocktails that use way more than a splash of dry, sweet or blanc.

 

The Emperor’s New Laundromat

Recipe courtesy of Paul MacDonald, Head Bartender, The Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, Pa.

The Emperor’s New Laundromat cocktail. Photo credit Allison Gallese

This cousin of the Hanky Panky subs in the bracing flavor of aquavit in place of Fernet Branca; vermouth adds sweetness, adding warmth, spice and richness. “Vermouth softens the intensity of the alcoholic base and provides space on the palate for its complex, highly concentrated flavors to softly unfurl,” MacDonald says. “It also provides bitterness which sits to help give some shape to the drink’s flavor profile.”

Add the first 3 ingredients to a cocktail glass, add ice, and stir until well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe, and garnish with the lemon twist.

 

Tre

Recipe courtesy of Kat Hawkins, Wine & Beverage Director, Bar Tre Dita and Tre Dita Restaurant, Chicago, Ill.

Tre Dita’s eponymous Tre cocktail. Photo credit Tre Dita Restaurant

Tre Dita’s namesake drink – whose three ingredients are all Italian-born – is a bright yet savory Martini variant, thanks to the addition of an ample pour of Contratto Vermouth Bianco, an alpine-style vermouth whose herbal tones include sage, marjoram and laurel as well as citrus peel. “Vermouth is a flavor bomb for cocktails, and there’s such a range and versatility in the category,” Hawkins says. “They can lead to a lower ABV-style cocktail or bring nuance to more powerful spirits.” 

Add the first four ingredients to a cocktail glass, add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe, express the lemon peel over the glass and add the peel to the glass.

Saline solution

  • Water

  • Salt

Combine 4 parts hot water with 1 part salt in a jar. Shake or stir until the salt is dissolved.

 

Duchess of Savoy

Recipe courtesy of José María “Chema” Dondé Rangel, Beverage Manager, The Bedford Stone Street, New York, N.Y.

The Bedford Stone Street’s Duchess of Savoy cocktail. Photo credit Lizzie Munro

Inspired by the classic Adonis cocktail, this low ABV wine-based sip picks up notes of blueberry, pine, and smoke from Cappelletti Pasubio Vino Amaro, an Alpine amaro from Italy’s northern Dolomite region. (You can replace it with another amaro of your choice, but it will change the overall flavor.) An orange peel with long perfectly manicured cuts adds elegance and what Rangel calls a “vanishing point effect.”

  • 1 oz. Cappelletti Pasubio Vino Amaro 

  • 1 oz. sweet vermouth

  • 1/2 oz. Rhum JM Shrubb Liqueur d’Orange

  • 3/4 oz. amontillado sherry

  • 3 dashes orange bitters

  • Orange peel, for garnish

Add the first five ingredients to a cocktail glass, add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass, and garnish with the orange peel.

 

The Tropical Revival

The Tropical Revival cocktail. Photo credit The Lobby Bar at The Westin St. Thomas

Recipe courtesy of Mea Leech, Lead Bartender at The Lobby Bar at The Westin St. Thomas Beach Resort & Spa, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

There’s a lot going on in this cocktail, which is refreshing yet multi-layered. Sweet vermouth plays off the Pacific coastal botanicals in the gin, while Cointreau adds a bright orange note and spiced rum a bit of depth.

Add the first 6 ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with the orange peel.

 

Tangy

Recipe courtesy of Federico Doldi, Aperitivo Specialist, L’Americana, New York, N.Y.

The Tangy cocktail. Photo credit L’Americana

This twist on the Americano uses an orange wine-based vermouth from Turin, Italy and sake crafted with Mandarin oranges and Japanese plums. “Vermouth isn’t just about bianco, rosso and dry – it has an incredible range of flavors,” Doldi points out. He enjoys figuring out how to combine them with other ingredients for aperitivo-style pre-dinner libations that stimulate the palate.

  • 1-1/2 oz. Savoia Orancio 

  • 1/2 oz. ume mandarin sake (can substitute umeshu, a Japanese plum wine)

  • Soda water, to top

  • Orange peel, for garnish

Add the first two ingredients to a pint or Collins glass, add ice, top with soda water and stir to combine. Garnish with the orange peel.

Cocktails, RecipesKelly Magyaricscocktails, recipesComment