Martini’s best friend, Vermouth is a sexy snifter which oozes with cool class.

The Facts
Named from wormwood, the ingredient in absinthe that makes your head fizz like Vesuvius, vermouth uses only tiny concentrations of the stuff, so there’ll be no hallucinatory wickedness drinking this sophisticated tipple.

The Flavour
The aromatised wine originated in Italy during the 18th century and the style developed was closest to what we know as sweet, rosso or Italian vermouth. It’s reddy-brown, fairly sweet and has bitter undertones.

Dry vermouth was developed in France in the 19th century where it was noticed that when wine was transported by sea, the effect of the strong sunlight and sea air on the barrels caused the contents to become more full-bodied and the colour to change.

Varieties of Vermouth
Martini Rossi and Cinzano are the most common, Noilly-Prat is somewhat rarer and trying to find a reliable source of either Gancia or Riccadonna is a vermouth drinker’s challenge.

Cinzano Dry is light and earthy but probably not robust enough for a Martini. Most bars favour Martini Extra Dry although Noilly-Prat is a delicious alternative.

If you consider yourself a cut above the drinkers in your local London bar then vermouth is the drink for you.

Natasha Vuckovic