World Vermouth Day is taking place this Friday, March 21, again celebrating one of the most widely-used, yet underrated, beverages in the world.
The world’s first Vermouth Day was introduced by renowned bartender and vermouth producer, Giancarlo Mancino, who wanted to showcase and celebrate this category of fortified wine.
Mancino says Vermouth Day is a time to celebrate the beverage that has held its own in the last 20 years of the cocktail renaissance and remained one of the key components for all backbars.
“There’s no Martini cocktail without vermouth. There’s no Negroni without vermouth. And of course, there’s no Vermuttino without Vermouth,” he says.
What is Vermouth?
Vermouth is an fortified, aromatised wine. It uses wine grapes as the base ingredient, then a grape spirit and/or a sugar syrup is added and finally, the mix is infused with dried, aromatic botanicals such as cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, citrus, juniper, ginger, and marjoram.
Vermouth comes from the German word for ‘wormwood’, because the original recipe for the drink had the herb as a main component. The ingredients of the drink have now changed – but the name remains.
How can your on-premise celebrate World Vermouth Day?
Serve Vermouth tasters so your customers as an aperitif.
Showcase Vermouth in your cocktail lists such as a Reverse-Martini or Reverse-Manhattan – it’s exactly what you think it is: reverse the volumes of vermouth and spirit.
Create a special World Vermouth Day limited edition cocktail, such as The Golden Hour Negroni.
Golden Hour Negroni
Ingredients:
- 45ml sweet Vermouth
- 30ml Mezcal (or smoky whiskey for a twist)
- 30ml Aperol (for a slightly softer bitterness than Campari)
- 2 dashes chocolate bitters (optional, but adds richness)
- Ice cubes
- Garnish: Orange peel and a cherry
Instructions
- Fill a mixing glass with ice.
- Add vermouth, mezcal, Aperol, and bitters.
- Stir well until chilled.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
- Garnish with an orange peel twist and a cherry.
Tip: If you prefer a classic Negroni, swap mezcal for gin.
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