A Beginner’s Guide to Vermouth: Sweet, Dry, and How to Use It

Vermouth is the most important bottle most people get wrong. It's not a spirit — it's aromatized, fortified wine — which makes it the quiet backbone of more classic cocktails than almost anything else on your shelf. And, crucially, it does not last forever.

Sweet vs. dry

Sweet vermouth is red, rich, and gently bitter — the soul of a Manhattan, a Negroni, and a Boulevardier. See everything it makes on the sweet vermouth cocktails page.

Dry vermouth is pale, crisp, and herbal — the "dry" in a dry Martini. A little goes a long way; browse dry vermouth cocktails to see how.

The mistake everyone makes

Vermouth is wine. Once it's open it oxidizes — leave a bottle in the cupboard for six months and your Manhattans will taste flat and dusty. Keep both bottles in the fridge and use them within a month or two. Buy smaller bottles if you don't pour them often. This one habit will improve your cocktails more than any gadget.