detlef Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Don't skimp on the Vermouth! Good vermouth is the cheapest way to make your drink better. We did a test some time back where we made some typical drinks using well-grade spirits (our well is not crap, however) mixed with premium vermouth and top-shelf spirits made with some more standard vermouth. It wasn't even close. Without fail, the drink made with the cheaper spirits and better vermouth was preferred. Of course, there's nothing wrong with using good vermouth and good spirits, but if you can only afford one... Of course, the economics are simple. You may pay as much as $20 as opposed to half that for good vermouth, but you use so little. Meanwhile, the difference on a bottle of Seagrams Gin vs something nice is about as much and amplified by how much more you put into your drink. A few to look for: The basics: I like Dolan for my basic white and red. They also make a sweet white that is pretty fun to work with, but way too flowery for your basic martini. I also like Vya for the white and red. The red tastes like pumpkin pie The more exotic: Cocchi Vermouth di Torino- This may be my favorite vermouth right now. It's an Antique-style, much like Carpano Antiqua (which is also great). They add a savory element to drinks and, right now, I'm enjoying 3:1 Gin and Vermouth di Torino with a twist. It's a freaking perfect drink. Cocchi Americano- Kind of like the old-school version of Lilet when it was more bitter. This is certainly pretty edgy, so if you're not into bitter, this will not be your thing. If you want to recreate the Vesper cocktail from James Bond Casino Royale, this is the vermouth to use. It's Moscato based, so there is some fruit and charm, but again, it's pretty bitter. Cardamaro- This is likely the hardest to find of all of these, and certainly pretty geeky stuff. It's basically an wine based amaro (which is not exactly a vermouth but may as well be) infused with cardoon (a thistle like the artichoke plant). Yes, you read that correctly. At any rate, on it's own, it's tasty but a bit of work. Mixed with rye, it's bliss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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