Vermouth isn’t just for martinis: 10 cocktails where it takes center stage
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Behind the bar, you quickly realize one thing: vermouth is the most underrated bottle on the shelf. Guests order it only for a 'drop in a martini,' and at home, it often sits open for years somewhere near the stove — and then people wonder why their cocktail tastes bitter with something off. Yet, it’s vermouth that makes half of the great classics: without it, there’s no Negroni, no Manhattan, no Americano.
Vermouth is fortified wine infused with herbs and wormwood. The key word is wine. It’s alive, it oxidizes, it gets along with the fridge and doesn’t get along with a forgotten cork. And when it’s fresh and right, it stops being an 'additive' and becomes a full-fledged flavor: bitter, spicy, with a long finish that holds the cocktail together like a bass line holds a song.
Below are ten recipes from the catalog 24cocktails.com, where vermouth is not a statistic, but the main character or at least an equal partner. Let’s start with the obvious — and quickly veer away from it.
1. Dry Martini
A starting point without which a conversation about vermouth cannot begin. The Dry Martini is a duet of gin and dry vermouth: cold, clear, with not a single unnecessary movement. Many pour vermouth 'symbolically,' and that’s a mistake — it’s what gives the drink its roundness and herbal trail; otherwise, you’re just drinking cold gin. The strength is about 24%, so it falls into the 'one and slow' category.
Ingredients
- Gin — 1 2/3 oz
- Dry vermouth — 1/3 oz
- Olive — 1 piece
How to prepare
- Pour gin and dry vermouth into a mixing glass with ice cubes.
- Stir well.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Express the oil from the lemon peel over the drink or garnish with an olive.
Tip: stir, don’t shake: when you stir with a spoon, the drink stays crystal clear and doesn’t get overly diluted. The glass — from the freezer, it’s not an option, it’s a must.
2. Negroni
Italian bitterness in its purest form: gin, Campari, and vermouth, all equal parts. According to popular legend, Florentine Count Negroni asked a bartender to strengthen his usual Americano with gin instead of soda — thus was born the cocktail that is now ordered in every self-respecting bar around the world. This is an aperitif: it awakens the appetite, not lulls the evening. The sweet vermouth here is the peacemaker, reconciling the sharp gin with the bitter Campari.
Ingredients
- Gin — 30 ml
- Campari — 30 ml
- Sweet vermouth — 30 ml
How to make it
- Fill an old-fashioned glass with ice cubes.
- Pour in gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
- Stir with a bar spoon.
- Garnish with an orange slice.
Tip: use one large ice cube instead of a handful of small ones — it melts slower, and your Negroni won't turn into a soup by the middle of the glass. And orange, not lemon: its oils work with the sweet vermouth in harmony.
3. Manhattan
A classic bourbon-based cocktail with sweet vermouth and bitters — a perfectly balanced drink for those who enjoy something strong. The Manhattan is the evening suit among cocktails: sharp, warm, with a cherry at the bottom as its only indulgence. The vermouth here softens the bourbon and adds a wine-like depth — try the same whiskey neat, and you'll understand the difference.
Ingredients
- Sweet vermouth — 3/4 oz
- Bourbon (blended) — 2 1/2 oz
- Angostura bitters — 1 dash
- Ice — 2–3 cubes
- Maraschino cherry — 1 piece
- Orange peel — 1 twist
How to make
- Fill a mixing glass with ice.
- Add bourbon and sweet vermouth.
- Add a dash of Angostura.
- Stir with a bar spoon until chilled.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry and an orange twist, serve immediately.
Tip: the main mistake with a Manhattan is the shaker. Shaking makes it cloudy and 'fluffy'. Only a spoon, only stir. And keep your opened vermouth in the fridge: oxidized vermouth kills this cocktail faster than anything.
4. Americano
A classic bitter aperitif — and, by the way, the older brother of the Negroni: the same pair of 'Campari plus sweet vermouth', only instead of gin — soda. It results in a light, crisp drink at 12%, which you can sip before dinner and not regret it. If you're just getting used to bitter cocktails — start here, not with a Negroni.
Ingredients
- Campari — 1 oz
- Sweet red vermouth — 1 oz
- Lemon peel - twist
- Orange peel - twist
How to prepare
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Pour in the Campari.
- Add sweet vermouth.
- Add a splash of soda water.
- Stir.
- Garnish with half an orange.
Tip: The soda goes in last and should be stirred in one or two motions, no more - otherwise, you'll knock out all the carbonation, and the drink will fall flat. The glass and soda should be cold beforehand: the ice has enough to do.
5. Boulevardier
A cocktail with bourbon, Campari, and sweet vermouth — essentially a Negroni, where gin has made way for whiskey. It was invented in the Paris bar scene between the wars, and its character reflects that: softer and warmer than its Italian relative, with caramel notes of bourbon over the bitterness. A great winter answer to the question 'I want a Negroni, but it's cold.'
Ingredients
- Bourbon — 1.5 oz
- Campari — 1.0 oz
- Aged sweet vermouth (for example, Antica Formula) — 1.0 oz
How to make
- Mix everything over ice and strain.
- Garnish as you like: with an orange slice, a lemon twist, or a cherry.
Tip: pay attention to the ratio — there's a bit more bourbon here than the other parts. This isn't sloppiness, but the essence of the recipe: whiskey, being weaker than gin, needs to push through the Campari, and it needs a head start. The quality of the vermouth matters: it's no coincidence that the recipe specifies aged.
6. Adonis
An elegant cocktail with sherry — and one of the few classic recipes that doesn't involve any hard liquor at all: just two types of fortified wine and bitters. Named after a Broadway musical from the last century, it has remained a favorite among bartenders for 'quiet' evenings. With only 11% alcohol, nutty sherry, and spicy vermouth — this is a conversation cocktail, not a showstopper.
Ingredients
- Oloroso sherry — 60 ml
- Sweet vermouth Martini Rosso — 30 ml
- Angostura orange bitters — 2 dashes
How to prepare
- Mix all the ingredients with ice.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass, garnish with a twist of orange peel.
Tip: Both sherry and vermouth are wines, and both oxidize after opening. For the Adonis, this is critical: bottles left open for a month will yield a tired, flat drink. Keep both in the fridge and plan to drink them within a couple of weeks.
7. Turf Cocktail
A classic from the era of the first bartending books: equal parts dry vermouth and gin, a light anise flavor, and bitters. The catalog honestly recommends it to lovers of vermouth and gin — and it's spot on: Turf is drier and stricter than a Martini, with a cold herbal profile that sounds surprisingly fresh today. A good way to surprise a guest who has 'already tried everything.'
Ingredients
- Dry vermouth — 1 oz
- Gin — 1 oz
- Anise — 1/4 tsp
- Angostura bitters — 2 dashes
- Orange peel — twist
How to prepare
- Fill a mixing glass with ice.
- Add dry vermouth, gin, and anise.
- Add the bitters.
- Stir with a bar spoon.
- Strain into a cocktail glass, add orange zest, and serve.
Tip: Anise is the loudest ingredient on this shelf. A quarter teaspoon is the ceiling, not a guideline: overdo it, and the whole cocktail will be all about it. Better to underdo it and add a drop to taste.
8. Arnaud (Arnaud, "Paris Nights")
An elegant cocktail with gin and blackcurrant, which has the second name "Paris Nights"—it speaks for itself. Three equal parts: gin, dry vermouth, and blackcurrant liqueur. It results in a deep berry drink with a dry wine backbone—not cloying, as one might think, but rather an "adult compote" with character. A beautiful option for a late evening when a Negroni is already too sharp.
Ingredients
- Dry gin Rutte — 30 ml
- Dry vermouth Martini Extra Dry — 30 ml
- Cassis liqueur Giffard Noir de Bourgogne — 30 ml
How to prepare
- Mix all the ingredients with ice.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass, garnish with blackberry.
Tip: In a recipe of equal parts, there's nowhere to hide — the quality of each ingredient is heard separately here. Especially the vermouth: its dryness keeps the cassis from turning syrupy. Serve very cold; warmth makes berry liqueurs heavy.
9. Apple Manhattan
A modern twist on a classic: bourbon and apple schnapps, with sweet vermouth tying them together. An autumnal cocktail — the apple and caramel notes of the whiskey are made for each other, and the vermouth acts as a spice rather than a base. Strong, 23%, so don't be fooled by the fruity name.
Ingredients
- Bourbon — 50 ml
- Apple schnapps — 35 ml
- Sweet vermouth Martini Rosso — 12.5 ml
How to make it
- Mix all the ingredients with ice.
- Strain into a chilled glass.
- Garnish with a slice of apple or an apple fan.
Tip: 12.5 ml of vermouth is a conscious precision, not 'just a little bit.' Measure with a jigger: pour too much — the vermouth will take over, pour too little — the cocktail will fall apart into whiskey and schnapps. Cut the apple slice for garnish right before serving; it darkens in minutes.
10. The Laverstoke
A refreshing cocktail with floral notes and a hint of bitterness — a signature serve from the Bombay Sapphire team, whose distillery stands on the site of an old mill in Laverstock. This is the most summery recipe in the collection: gin, elderflower, red vermouth, and plenty of soda in a large balloon glass. The vermouth adds depth, without which the drink would just be lemonade with gin.
Ingredients
- Gin — 50 ml
- Elderflower syrup — 15 ml
- Vermouth Rosso — 15 ml
- Tonic — 75 ml
- Lime — 2 wedges
- Ginger — 1 slice
- Mint — 1 large sprig
How to prepare
- Squeeze the juice from the two lime wedges into the balloon glass, add the syrup, Bombay Sapphire gin, and Martini Rosso vermouth, and gently stir.
- Fill the glass completely with ice cubes and stir to chill.
- Top it off with Fever-Tree ginger ale and gently stir again.
- Garnish with a slice of ginger and a sprig of mint.
Tip: "fill the glass with ice completely" is literal. A half-empty glass with ice chills worse and dilutes more: a paradox that all beginners stumble over. Add the soda strictly at the end, and stir it without enthusiasm.
Vermouth is not a boring bottle "for martinis," but a whole genre: from the strict Dry Martini to the summery Laverstoke. Start with a couple of recipes for which you already have the ingredients, keep the opened vermouth in the fridge — and half of the bar classics will be just a bar spoon away.
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