What is your vermouth brand of choice?

[Brad Bowers]

I'm stepping in here with a reminder...

All opinions are welcome here, but a constant barrage of negative opinions with nothing constructive to say is a quick way to get on the wrong side of the rest of the customers and the Bartenders here. Something to keep in mind. As the old saying goes, "If you can't say something nice, what are you doing in this thread?"

I'm a straight-forward kind of vermouth guy:
Noilly Prat Dry for my gin martinis - 4:1 ratio please!
Martini & Rossi Sweet for my Manhattans (and also great in an Italian Pot Roast).
Brad

 

[PADDY]

Chin-Chin Brad - sounds good.

 

[brspiritus]

You need to try a fresh bottle of good stuff. Vermouth has too low of an alcohol content to be shelf stable. It goes bad and turns to vinegar within a month of being opened (even when refrigerated), giving you the soured milk flavor.

Funny, my vermouth never lasts long enough to go sour, even when I buy the 1L bottles. The fridge is too packed with stuff to keep it in there so the bottle just sits on the wine rack between uses.

 

[Ethan Bentley]

I've just done a tasting of 15 Dry Vermouths available in Europe.
Sadly I couldn't get hold of:
Imbue
Tribuno
Gallo

Has anyone tried these? Are they any good?

My tasting notes for the 15 can be found here: http://summerfruitcup.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/vermouthtasting/

 

[rumblefish]

Ever since Noilly Pratt Changed their recipe- which I haven't bothered to try since I've heard it has gotten sweet, I've been going through brands to find a good one for Martinis. Well I've found one today I'm sticking with Dolin- Dry. Nice and dry, slightly herbal and bitter.

 

[Ethan Bentley]

I remember hearing the Noilly Pratt recipe had changed, from what I can gather, not in the UK/Europe though. I wonder why they changed it in the USA? Dolin is superb and if Noilly just isn't Noilly any more and excellent alternative.

 

[rumblefish]

I remember hearing the Noilly Pratt recipe had changed, from what I can gather, not in the UK/Europe though. I wonder why they changed it in the USA? Dolin is superb and if Noilly just isn't Noilly any more and excellent alternative.

From what I've gathered they changed it for the US to accomodate our preferences for sweeter milder flavors. I guess if it can be promoted to be made into cocktails that call for more than just a spritz, a whole lot more will sell- To hell with the martinis.
And you are right Ethan; Dolin is Superb- Noilly who?..

 

[seahound]

In the James Bond novel Diamonds Are Forever Felix Leiter orders martinis for himself and Bond made with Cresta Blanca Vermouth. Evidently the Cresta Blanca was one of the major factors in establishing the California wine industry, but the brand isn't in production anymore. Too bad. I like trying the old brands mentioned in the James Bond novels.

 

[katon]

For an Italian or Sweet Vermouth, do what ever it takes to get a bottle of Carpano Antica.......Incredible tasting!

I certainly agree about the flavor. I've learned recently, though, that Carpano Antica isn't strictly speaking a pure vermouth. It is a sort of bottled vermouth cocktail like Punt e Mes; with Punt e Mes, extra sugar and bitters are added to sweet vermouth, with Carpano Antica extra sugar and vanilla are added.

Well, it's an upstart brand, but both the dry and sweet Vya vermouths are my favorites in their classes.

I agree with this. Pretty unique, but very well done. The best American vermouth I have had.

I've just been reading "On Drink" by Kingsley Amis. It seem that he prefers Noilly Prat dry to drink on his own but not for Martinis.

I've read this too. I think he was referring to the European formula Noilly Prat, which follows the Marseilles style of vermouth production. Personally, I think that it makes a fine cocktail, but everyone has their own opinions. One just needs to use an assertive gin that can stand up to that style of French vermouth's more assertive flavors.

The type of vermouth I imagine he was wanting is the Chambéry Dry style of French vermouth, which is clearer (for crystal clear Martinis) and milder in flavor. Supposedly it was this style that Noilly Prat copied when it released its "American version". (Note that this is different than the Chambéry Blanc style, which is a sweet white vermouth.)

 

[jamespowers]

Ever since Noilly Pratt Changed their recipe- which I haven't bothered to try since I've heard it has gotten sweet, I've been going through brands to find a good one for Martinis. Well I've found one today I'm sticking with Dolin- Dry. Nice and dry, slightly herbal and bitter.

Why am I not surprised?

 

[Miss Stella]

I remember every evening at 4....my grandparents broke out the Martini and Rossini on the rocks....they daily said yes

 

[EliasRDA]

I was using Rossi in my manhattens, didnt know it went bad as we dont drink all that much in my house. Made a drink last week & man was the vermouth bad, good thing I was only making one drink.
So today I was in the store to pick up some, couldnt find Rossi but saw Dolins, based on the recommendations here decided to grab a small bottle of rouge. Just made a jack daniels with the dolins & a new bottle of bitters... man, so much better.

Yes, there are those that might say I'm wrecking the JD but I'm past the days of drinking straight shots, so to each their own. Sides, I've got a giant bottle of JD that was a Xmas gift about 7 yrs ago & its barely half gone.

 

[jamespowers]

I was using Rossi in my manhattens, didnt know it went bad as we dont drink all that much in my house. Made a drink last week & man was the vermouth bad, good thing I was only making one drink.
So today I was in the store to pick up some, couldnt find Rossi but saw Dolins, based on the recommendations here decided to grab a small bottle of rouge. Just made a jack daniels with the dolins & a new bottle of bitters... man, so much better.

Yes, there are those that might say I'm wrecking the JD but I'm past the days of drinking straight shots, so to each their own. Sides, I've got a giant bottle of JD that was a Xmas gift about 7 yrs ago & its barely half gone.

Try a Modified Harvest Moon with that too:
1 1/2 ounces JD 1/2 ounce lime juice 1/2 ounce orgeat

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. You can also try it with applejack for the original. The recipe is pretty darned old.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Four years after starting this thread, and "experimenting" (i.e., taste testing . . . fun, fun) numerous vermouths, I can report the following:

Drys:
- Lillet Blanc is a wonderful apéritif, and great chilled, but is terrible for use as a dry vermouth
- Cocchi Americano, also an apéritif, makes a very interesting substitute for conventional dry vermouth, in some cocktails***
- Dolin Dry is cheap, readily available, and probably a step above most other drys in the same price range
- I have yet to find my ideal dry vermouth . . . .

Sweets:
- Carpano Antica is quite good, but not always the best choice; it's very, very flavorful, but sometimes to its detriment and can overpower more subtle spirits. Carpano is best with Bourbon and Rye (IMO)
- Punt e Mes is slightly more subtle than Carpano, and cost significantly les than Carpano, but essentially all the same applies
- Dolin Dry is cheap, readily available, and probably a step above most other drys in the same price range
- Dubonet Rouge, is a really nice apéritif that is sweet, but not too much so. I often use it in cocktails to balance out a bitter ingredient like Campari, for example
- May favored sweets are Punt e Mes or Dolin, depending on the cocktail

*** The Martinez Cocktail:

Stir in mixing glass with ice & strain

2 parts Old Tom Gin
1 part Cocchi Americano
1 dash Augustoria Bitters

Serve in a cocktail glass
Garnish w/ a lemon twist (necessary; not optional)

 

[EliasRDA]

thanks for the suggestion JamesPowers, I'll have to try that one sometime.