Red Vermouth

Red Vermouth is a fortified wine flavoured with various dry ingredients such as roots, aromatic herbs, and bark. The drink is used in the Polar Bear Cooler cocktail and is also a key ingredient in some of the most popular classic cocktails, such as the Negroni and Manahattan. Red vermouth is often consumed on its own as a popular aperitif, particularly in countries like France and Italy, where most Red Vermouth is actually produced.

Red Vermouth helps to bring an extra dimension to mixed drinks, such as the popular Bronx cocktail, by adding depth and balance without overpowering the cocktail with alcohol, as it is only about 50% the abv of most spirits. Red vermouth is sweeter than its white vermouth brother, with sugar content being up to 15%, depending on the brand. The drink can also be used in cooking and is sometimes added to improve the flavour or even colour of sauces, particularly in Italian cooking. The colour of red vermouth is often thought to come from the red wine base however it is often caused by the addition of caramel.

There are several brands of red vermouth available, some of the most popular of these being Martini, Mancino Rosso, La Quintyne Rouge, Carpano Antica Formula, Cocchi, Sacred and Dolin. To see how these brands compare with each other check out our Review of Red Vermouth.

Note that Vermouth is essentially a wine product so once opened it turns very much like wines does. Hence it is important to keep it refrigerated and consume within 4- 6 weeks.