Sweet Vermouth
A fortified, herb-infused wine with a rich, slightly sweet, reddish-brown character - used in Manhattans and Negronis.
Origin
Turin, Italy, developed in 1786 by Antonio Benedetto Carpano as an aromatized, fortified wine sweetened and colored with caramel.
History
Carpano's original Turin recipe became the template for sweet vermouth, and the style spread quickly through 19th-century Europe and America as the Manhattan, and later the Negroni, made it a fixture behind the bar. It remains one of the few ingredients that ties together classic cocktails built on completely different base spirits, from whiskey to gin.
Flavor profile
Rich, sweet, and herbal, with notes of dried cherry, caramel, baking spice, and bitter orange peel.
Tasting notes
Deep amber-red in color, tasting of dried fruit, caramel, and warm baking spice over a bittersweet herbal backbone. Quality varies widely: richer bottlings taste noticeably more complex and less syrupy than bargain brands, and it's worth tasting a few side by side to find a favorite.
Substitutes
- Any other sweet vermouth opened within the last month or two, since it oxidizes like wine once uncorked.
- Port with a dash of bitters, as a sweeter, less herbal stand-in in a pinch.
- A richer, more complex Italian sweet vermouth in place of a standard bottling, when a recipe wants that style specifically.
