If there’s one bottle that instantly transforms cocktails, it’s vermouth. Without it, a Martini is just a glass of cold gin; a Manhattan is just a glass of chilled whiskey.
Increasingly, vermouth is taking center stage on its own. Taking cues from Spain’s “hora del vermut” (vermouth hour) and Italy’s Aperitivo culture, as well as increased demand for low-alcohol options, America is coming around to vermouth.
For example, NYC’s Rosevale Cocktail Room offers a staggering selection of more than 200 vermouth bottlings—the largest collection on the planet, the bar claims—housed in a giant glass refrigerator case set to a gentle range of 52 to 59 degrees. Take a page from Rosevale: For longest shelf life, promptly refrigerate any opened bottles of vermouth.
“It’s like a cocktail in a bottle,” says Rosevale beverage director Alec Kass. “It’s wine fortified
