Are you looking for some simple but effective vermouth-based cocktails to help you learn how to enjoy this beverage? Would you like something you can create easily with ingredients that aren’t too difficult to find in most instances? How about some cocktails that are great for beginners but classy enough to make you feel like an old pro when you order or mix them yourself? If any of this sounds like you, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll show you ten great cocktails you can make with vermouth as either the star of the show or one of the most prevalent ingredients. Check them out below.
Hanky-Panky
Ingredients
• 1-1/2oz gin
• 1-1/2oz sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes Fernet-Branca or similar liqueur
• Orange twist
• Ice
Directions
• Fill a cocktail glass with ice and chill while you prepare the drink.
• Fill a separate mixing glass with ice and add gin, vermouth, and Fernet-Branca.
• Stir to combine well but do not over-stir.
• Strain into the chilled glass over the ice.
• Serve.
Blushing Rose
Ingredients
• 2oz extra dry vermouth
• 2oz hibiscus tea
• 5 raspberries
• 1tsp sugar
• 1oz white rum
• ¼ tsp rosewater
Directions
• Press the raspberries through cheesecloth or a sieve until you have the pulp separated from the seeds. Discard the seeds.
• Fill a shaker with ice and add tea, white rum, vermouth, rosewater, and sugar.
• Shake to combine well and chill through.
• Add the raspberry pulp and shake again to combine.
• Strain and serve in a cocktail glass.
Basic Martini
Ingredients
• 3.5oz vodka
• 1/2oz dry vermouth
• Olive
• Ice
Directions
• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
• Add vodka and vermouth and shake to combine and chill.
• Strain into a martini glass.
• Add olive and serve immediately while still chilled.
Manhattan
Ingredients
• 2oz rye whiskey
• 1oz sweet vermouth
• 1 dash bitters
• 1 orange twist
• 1 maraschino cherry
• ice
Directions
• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. At the same time, fill a cocktail glass with ice and chill while you prepare the drink.
• Add whiskey, vermouth, and bitters to the shaker and stir to combine; do not shake.
• Remove ice from the chilled cocktail glass and place the cherry in the bottom.
• Strain the drink over the cherry in the cocktail glass.
• Garnish with the orange twist and serve.
Americano
Ingredients
• 1-1/2oz sweet vermouth
• 1-1/2oz Campari
• 3oz club soda or soda water
• Lemon twist
• Ice
Directions
• Fill an Old Fashioned glass with ice cubes.
• Pour the vermouth and Campari together into the glass over the ice.
• Top with the club soda. Do not shake or stir this drink.
• Garnish with lemon twist.
• Serve immediately before ice has a chance to melt.
Rob Roy
Ingredients
• 3/4oz sweet vermouth
• 2oz Scotch, any style
• 3 dashes bitters
• 2 maraschino cherries
• Ice
Directions
• Fill a cocktail glass with ice and chill it while you prepare the drink.
• Fill a tall mixing glass with ice.
• Add vermouth, Scotch, and bitters to the glass.
• Stir to combine well.
• Remove the ice from the chilled cocktail glass and strain the drink into the cold glass.
• Garnish with cherries and serve.
Gibson Martini
Ingredients
• 1/2oz dry vermouth
• 2-1/2oz gin
• 2 pickled pearl onions
• Ice
Directions
• Fill a cocktail glass and chill while you complete the rest of the drink.
• Fill a mixing glass with ice.
• Add gin and vermouth to the glass over the ice and stir to combine well and chill through.
• Remove ice from the chilled cocktail glass.
• Strain the drink into the glass with no ice.
• Garnish with pearl onions and serve immediately while still cold.
Old Pal
Ingredients
• 1oz Campari
• 1oz dry vermouth
• 1oz rye whiskey
• 1 lemon twist
• Ice
Directions
• Fill a coupe glass with ice and let chill while you work on the rest of the drink.
• In a tall mixing glass, combine rye whiskey, dry vermouth, and Campari.
• Top the rest of the way with ice cubes and stir to combine, making sure to chill the drink through completely.
• Remove the ice from the coupe glass and make sure there isn’t any water in the bottom of the glass before continuing.
• Strain the drink into the coupe glass, making sure not to get any ice with it.
• Garnish with lemon twist and serve.
Brooklyn
Ingredients
• 1/2oz dry vermouth
• 1-1/2oz rye whiskey or bourbon, your choice
• 1/4oz bitters
• 1/4oz maraschino liqueur
• Maraschino cherry
• ice
Directions
• Place a martini glass in the freezer for 10 minutes. Do not fill the glass with ice.
• In the meantime, fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
• Pour in the vermouth, whiskey or bourbon, bitters, and maraschino liqueur.
• Seal and shake until everything is combined very well.
• Strain into the chilled martini glass, taking care not to get any ice into the drink as you do so.
• Serve garnished with the maraschino cherry. Optionally, you may also add a lemon twist.
Bronx
Ingredients
• 1/4oz dry vermouth
• 2oz gin
• 1oz fresh orange juice
• 1/4oz sweet vermouth
• 1 dash orange bitters
• Ice
Directions
• Chill a cocktail or martini glass in the freezer for 10 minutes while you prepare the drink. Do not add ice to the glass.
• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
• Add gin, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, orange juice, and bitters to the cocktail shaker.
• Seal and shake to combine and chill everything through thoroughly.
• Strain into the chilled cocktail glass, taking care not to get any ice into the drink.
• This drink is best served with no garnish, but you may add an orange zest if you like.
Conclusion
As you can see, vermouth-based cocktails are classy and upscale beverages that are sure to make you feel sophisticated when you drink them. These drinks are also usually fairly hearty in terms of their alcohol content, so take your time easing into them if you’re new to the world of cocktails. Once you get used to the taste of vermouth, especially when combined with other alcoholic ingredients, you may want to branch out even further and try some more difficult cocktails that incorporate this popular potable into the mix, too.