Vermouth is sort of mysterious to many American drinkers, something that folks know goes into their martini or their old-fashioned, but without really knowing what it is. There’s also a decent amount of confusion about how to store it—once a bottle of vermouth is open, it just goes back on the bar cart like any other spirit, right? 

In reality, vermouth—which includes items that go by different names in places like Italy and France such as amaro, aperitivo, aperitif—are liqueurs. This is a category of beverage that has wine as its base, which is then are “aromatized” by the addition of botanical ingredients, and finally preserved by fortification, usually with a bit of neutral alcohol. This means vermouths are much, much lower in ABV than an actual liquor, but they have a bit more stiffness, sweetness, and often flavor intensity than genuine wine. They’re also more fragile – unlike distillates, they do have to go back in the fridge once you’ve opened them.

At Folkways, we carry lots of artisanal and small-production vermouths; we find they’re a great encouragement to drinking lightly: on the rocks, with some seltzer or club soda as a spritz, or stretched into a highball with your favorite well-made ginger beer or tonic. They scratch the cocktail itch without punching heavy in the intoxication department, and they’re excellent as a way to have a late afternoon snack or a pre-cursor moment before dinner without feeling heavy-laden. Here follow some terrific examples currently on our shelves!

FEATURED PRODUCTS:

Capitoline ‘Cerasa’

BCN Vermut ‘Ambre’

Lo-Fi Sweet Vermouth

Method Dry Vermouth

SHOP THE COLLECTION: Aperitivo & Vermouth

Image Credit: Bar Cinzano alla Fiera Campionaria di Milano del 1963