In the Soviet Union, vermouths were made from low-quality wines, and therefore were the lot of young people and people with low incomes. It is clear that due to the quality of the main raw materials, the drink could not gain the popularity it should have, and often gathered dust on store shelves. Today, leading wine companies are engaged in the production of vermouth, and the taste of their products is much higher than that of their Soviet predecessor.
Today's vermouths are fortified wines flavored with various medicinal herbs and spices.
The main aromatic component is the essence of alpine wormwood.
And besides this, alcoholic drinks of this type are supplemented with extracts from mint, yarrow, their taste and aroma are improved by cinnamon, cardamom and even nutmeg.
At the beginning of the history of its creation, vermouth was made only from white grapes. Then the Reds were also involved in production.
Main varieties
All existing vermouths can be roughly grouped into five groups:
- dry, containing 14% sugar;
- white, the sugar concentration in which ranges from 5 to 15%;
- sweet reds, sweetened by more than 15%;
- pink, which contains 10-17% sugar;
- bitter. These are considered a digestif, that is, alcohol consumed only after a meal.
How to drink correctly?
In fact, there is nothing complicated about how to drink white or red vermouth correctly. Typically, a similar product is consumed in its pure form, but from specific containers. It is a tall triangular shaped glass, which is better known as "martini glass". Ideally, the drink is poured into tumblers - low glasses with a thick bottom, which were originally intended for whiskey.
It is customary to warm the red variety to room temperature and only then serve it, while the white variety is drunk only when chilled.
Another unshakable rule on how to drink vermouth is the following: drink alcohol in small sips.
And the point is not even the aesthetics of your actions, but the fact that such drinks provoke a severe hangover. This means that you should be careful with them.
What's the best snack?
Since in our country it is not customary to drink alcohol without at least some kind of snack, the question of what vermouth is usually drunk with is very relevant. Europeans and wine experts do not snack on such alcohol; they only slightly muffle its pungent aroma and taste by adding pieces of ice. The latter really makes the drink softer, more restrained, and its taste parameters more expressive.
If the taste seems too unpleasant, you can flavor it with any usual juice.
Do you want to know what kind of juice true wine connoisseurs drink vermouth with? For this purpose, sour products are used that highlight the true sweetness of the wine: lemon, grapefruit or orange.
Now let’s talk about what kind of food you drink red or white vermouth with.
In principle, it goes well with any kind of meat and vegetable salads. Again, even in the case of an appetizer, a glass of this red wine should definitely have a few pieces of ice.
In Europe, one type of vermouth is common, known to us as a martini. So, you need to snack on salted crackers, fried nuts with salt, hard cheeses and your favorite fruits.
In Russia, for example, they drink “like an adult,” that is, while eating canapés and sandwiches. And what? This habit dates back to the times of the Soviet Union, when there was nothing to think about a better snack than pies or fried chicken. Strange? Not at all: in Italy, which is the birthplace of the three most common varieties of vermouth, it is still drunk steamed with pizza and various sandwiches.
What and how to use Martini with?
Since it is Martini that is most often found on our shelves, we will dwell in more detail on how to drink it correctly. Basically, it all depends on the circumstances.
For example, if wine plays the role of an aperitif, then it can be supplemented with:
- olives or olives;
- crackers;
- hard cheese;
- shrimp;
- other savory snacks.
In a situation where Martini is served on a sweet table, it would be appropriate to serve it with the following snacks:
- dark chocolate;
- berries;
- pineapples;
- oranges;
- tangerines;
- lemons;
- grapefruits.
Serving Bianco vermouth in the middle of a full feast is not a good idea.
But, if this turns out to be the case, then it’s better to snack on wine:
- Meat and vegetable salads without mayonnaise, snacks based on seafood;
- The pink martini is delicious with baked chicken;
- Rosso goes well with ham;
- Bitter, as the strongest variety of vermouth, goes well with fried and boiled potatoes, baked meat, and all kinds of fish and vegetable appetizers.
The most perfect version of what and how to drink Bianco vermouth correctly can be borrowed from those same Italians.
Vermouth is a refined drink, the taste of which largely depends on the dishes served with it. Fragrant, tart alcohol is not compatible with every snack. Therefore, it is worth taking a responsible approach to the choice of products in order to maximize all the facets of flavored fortified wine. After all, alcohol containing medicinal plants combines sweetness and bitterness to varying degrees. Regardless of the brand, there are five types of vermouth, each of which requires an individual approach.
This strong drink (from 25 degrees) is not recommended to mix with other liquids to obtain a variety of cocktails. It is best enjoyed in its pure, undiluted form, complemented with any suitable high-calorie snack. So, you can choose salads with mayonnaise dressing, fish dishes, fried meat, boiled potatoes and everything else that is traditionally combined with alcohol with a high alcohol concentration.
And bitter vermouth is a good option for a digestif. That is, it is sometimes drunk at the very end of the meal to improve the functioning of the digestive system. Some connoisseurs, based on the beneficial properties of Bitter, use it as a kind of medicine with benefits for the body.
This drink is considered an intermediate option - in terms of taste balance it is between white and red wormwood wine. Suitable for cocktails, including those that require mixing different types of alcohol. Although the latter is quite rare.
On the other hand, you can safely dilute it with any fruit juices to suit your own taste. After all, pink vermouth is particularly sweet due to its high concentration of sugar (from 10 to 15 percent). In addition, chicken and many appetizers go well with Rosso and Bianco. 
There is even more glucose here than in Rose (it starts at 15 percent). Such drinks are traditionally drunk without anything, just with crushed pieces of ice. It is desirable that the pure liquid be cooled to a reference temperature of 10 degrees. Sometimes, if desired, alcohol is diluted with tonic, gin or soda. In this case, it is necessary to maintain a proportion of one to two, where the first number indicates the added product, and the second indicates the red vermouth itself.
You can reduce the strength of alcohol by combining it with fruit and berry juices. This includes concentrates of grapefruit, cherry, pineapple or orange. As an aperitif, the drink is combined with strawberries, red grapes, sweet citrus fruits, mild cheeses, salty crackers and nuts. If alcohol is served at a feast, there must be ham among the dishes. 
White Bianco has a sugar concentration similar to pink Rosé (10-15 percent), but is still slightly less. But it’s quite possible to balance the outstanding sweetness with soda, tonic or lemonade. Adding sourness is exactly what is needed to create a harmonious taste.
Vermouth itself has an unobtrusive aroma of spicy plants and a bitter wormwood undertone. It is perfectly complemented by juices from apples, grapefruits, oranges and citrus fruits in a one to one ratio. Despite the fact that this proportion is considered the most optimal, everyone can change it to suit individual preferences to achieve the desired strength.
This alcohol can also be drunk undiluted - just with a few ice cubes. As an appetizer, it is served with white grapes, tangerine slices, orange slices, a variety of cheeses and sour olives. Some people use it during meals, complementing it with fried fish. But this combination is not considered classic. 
It is also Dry, a dry vermouth with virtually no sugar (less than 4 percent content). This drink, unlike others, is generally not mixed into cocktails with other alcohol or juices. It is presented to guests exclusively in chilled pure form before eating, that is, used as an aperitif.
It goes well with both hearty and light snacks. The first include salads (only without mayonnaise dressing), sandwiches with ham, red fish and salmon. The second option is hard cheeses, a variety of salted nuts, crispy crackers, sour olives or black olives. 
Classic submission rules
Outside the feast
Serving vermouth separately from the main meal is considered the most correct decision. This is exactly what true experts and connoisseurs of wormwood wine recommend doing. So, it can be submitted in two cases:
During the feast
Although vermouth is not preferred as the main alcohol at a holiday banquet, it is quite acceptable in some cases. If you really want to see it during a meal, you should include in the menu the appropriate food that would suit this type of drink.
For example, you need to pair lean meat with red Rosso, poultry with pink Rose, and any low-calorie fish dishes with white Bianco and dry Seco. In this way, you can maintain the balanced taste of refined alcohol and not “kill” it with foreign products. Pairing lean meat with pink, poultry with rose, would go with a certain type of drink. noah) and salmon. 
For dessert
For dessert, wines with a high sugar content (that is, white, rose and red vermouth) are served. These are generally accepted digestives that are drunk after eating dishes. It is better to snack on Rose, Rosso and Bianco with not the most sugary desserts. Berries, sliced fruit, ice cream and dark dark chocolate are perfect.
Of course, no one forbids combining alcohol with cakes or sweets. But their sharp, pronounced taste will overpower the notes of a specially selected herbal bouquet contained in wormwood wine.
By the way, it is sweet vermouths that are often mixed with strong drinks like absinthe, skate, gin and vodka. Well, or diluted with something non-alcoholic, for example, citrus juices, soda, cola, Sprite. It is also permissible to mix the liquid with lemon juice (in equal proportions). 
Other subtleties
A common question among connoisseurs of alcoholic beverages is: what do you drink with in order to best emphasize all its advantages, achieve an interesting taste and a pleasant, gradually unfolding aftertaste?
Using white Bianco vermouth in cocktails or serving it with ice in combination with original appetizers will decorate a festive table, an official event, or a friendly feast.
Features of sweet vermouth
Good white vermouth is fortified, flavored with herbs, and less often with other spices, due to which it has a specific taste. The main ingredient is wormwood, which is why the drink is also called wormwood wine, and medicinal herbs (from the common chamomile to the exotic clary sage) or spices (from the common cinnamon to the rare cumin) can be used as additives.
Vermouth Bianco is produced on the basis of white wine, which is mixed with herbs infused with alcohol, and then softened with sugar (its content in the finished drink is 10-15%), and is also supplemented with alcohol to maximize the combination of flavors.
Some producers make this wine sweet, flavor it with vanilla, and complement the overall composition with individual floral flavors. As a result, the bitterness is almost unnoticeable, which is why Bianco is popular among women.
How to drink vermouth correctly
Each alcoholic drink has its own rules for use, compliance with which affects its perception and further well-being of the consumer. Experts recommend taking into account the following rules for drinking vermouth:
- Although classified as an all day drink, given the ability of this drink to stimulate appetite, it should be taken as an aperitif or digestif, avoiding the morning hours.
- Serve undiluted sweet vermouth in cone-shaped glasses that widen upward (“for martinis”) or with ice in thick-bottomed glasses for.
- Vermouth with juice, soft or alcoholic drinks are presented in glasses of various shapes depending on the composition and volume.
- Due to its bitterness and spicy taste, it is recommended to drink vermouth slowly, in small sips. This will also help avoid hangover symptoms (migraines, dizziness, dry mouth, poor general health).
- The white drink should be cooled to 8-12°C, especially in the hot season.
- You should purchase the drink only from well-vetted suppliers to avoid counterfeit brands of famous manufacturers.
- Remember that excessive indulgence in any alcohol can lead to intoxication of the body, which means you need to observe the measure depending on your age, weight and eating habits.
What to eat with vermouth
Fans of Bianco can drink it as a stand-alone drink throughout the day without additional snacks. However, the Slavic mentality and habit of treats tends to accompany any alcohol with an appropriate meal.
If you are choosing an appetizer to go with vermouth, you should consider when and how this drink is served:
- Aperitif is the beginning of a meal, holiday or special event. Served with olives, olives, incl. stuffed lemons or seafood delicacies, grapes, cubes of cheese, mainly aged hard varieties (cheddar, Parmesan, pecorino, Gruyere). The drink goes well with unsweetened or nut cookies. Verrines are becoming popular - portioned snacks, which in the case of Bianco can be cheese or fish.
- An integral component of cocktails is a standard serving at parties or buffets. If sweet notes predominate in them, then a logical snack would be fruits, especially citrus fruits: oranges, tangerines or tangerines, as well as pineapples with a sour taste. For convenience, they are strung on skewers or served as slices. Unsweetened vermouth-based drinks with a higher alcohol concentration are eaten with olives or saltine crackers.
- During the main meal. A rare, but still plausible option for serving vermouth. White Bianco vermouth with ice can be served accompanied by cold or hot appetizers of white lean fish (soufflé, rillette, terrine, sliced fish) or main fish dishes (baked fish in a creamy sauce, gratin cheese crust or grilled). Presentation with canapés - small sandwiches made on white bread - is allowed. In Italy you can even find it used with pizza.
- Part of the dessert table, especially when it comes to sweet varieties. As a snack, it is complemented with berries, fruit salads or slices, and vanilla ice cream. Chocolate, even bitter chocolate, is recommended only in small portions. A cheese plate with grapes, several types of nuts (almonds, pistachios, pecans, peanuts) and honey is a good addition to white vermouth.
- A digestif is the end of a meal, a long feast of several courses. Bianco is served neat, with a few ice cubes or lemon juice to soften the taste.
The taste of vermouth depends largely on the food served with it, so it is worth trying several serving styles to determine the best one for each occasion.
What can you stir and dilute Bianco with?
Vermouth Bianco is often used diluted. In this case, the standard ratio of main and additional drinks is 1:1 or 1:2. It depends on the consumer’s taste preferences and the desired strength of the cocktail.
Examples of what Bianco can be mixed with to give it different flavor sensations:
- tonic, mineral or soda water - a simple combination designed to further reduce the bitterness and sweetness of the original wine;
- cola - in combination with ice in a ratio of 1:4, it is well suited for youth friendly celebrations;
- juices with a pronounced sour taste (lemon, grapefruit, orange, fresh apple or nectar) - vermouth with juice has a less cloying taste and is easier to drink, multi-fruit combinations are also allowed;
- strong alcoholic drinks (,) - such combinations are useful for male company or the main meal;
- green tea, mint and lime - a cooling light lemonade option for hot weather;
- coffee - flavoring with a small amount of vermouth is allowed by the barista.
When properly diluted and mixed, all vermouth-based cocktails awaken the appetite, lift your spirits, and add variety with their flavors.
Vermouth is a fortified wine that was known and popular back in Soviet times. But then a real high-quality alcoholic drink was practically unavailable; it was made from low-quality domestic wine materials. Today everything has changed and now it belongs to quality drinks. Famous wine companies produce vermouth; they value their reputation, so the quality of the wine is very high, unlike the Soviet product. The birthplace of vermouth is the Italian city of Turin, which is famous for its grapes with a wonderful Muscat taste. Aromatic, spicy herbs grew there. The hot Mediterranean sun caused the herbs to emit a strong aroma that mixed with the aroma of the grapes. Nature itself suggested to man that it was necessary to somehow skillfully combine these components. The result was a wonderful wine with an extraordinary subtle aroma and distinctive taste.
For flavoring, medicinal plants and herbs are added to the alcoholic drink. Typically this is an extract of alpine wormwood, which accounts for approximately 50% of all aromatic components of the wine. Mint, cardamom, nutmeg, yarrow, elecampane, angelica, St. John's wort, ginger, chamomile, and lemon balm are also added to the composition. A diverse set of herbs enriches the wine with a wide variety of flavors, so the drink turns out tart and fragrant, combining bitterness with sweetness.
The main varieties of vermouth include:
- Dry (this drink contains up to 4% sugar).
- White (sugar from 5 to 15%).
- Red sweet (sugar more than 15%).
- Pink (with sugar content from 10 to 17%).
- Bitter, with a minimum sugar content (2.5 - 2.8%), which is a dejastif, unlike other vermouths, which are aperitifs.
How to drink vermouth correctly?
If we talk about the culture of drinking such a drink, then it is worth highlighting several points.
What do they pour into?
Many people drink this drink from triangular martini glasses. But the classic version involves using a glass with a thick bottom, which is also intended for whiskey (tumbler).
How do they drink?
Since vermouth is a rather strong drink, it is drunk in small sips. This is due to human physiology. If you quickly drink glass after glass, it will provoke a terrible hangover with a terrible migraine. Still, the composition contains a wide variety of herbs that have a tonic effect on the body.
What is it diluted with?
Usually the drink is not diluted with anything, but many people prefer to put ice in it, dilute it with water or juice. Citrus juices are best suited to bring out the sweetness. Dry vermouth is drunk only in its pure form, and sweet vermouth is diluted with gin, vodka, cognac, and lemon juice. Can be combined with pomegranate syrup and cherry vodka. More than 500 types of cocktails are made based on it. The best proportions are considered to be one to one or two to one. That is, take one part of the “dilution” drink and one part of vermouth. Bianco is diluted with lemonade, soda, and tonic, thanks to which you can balance the taste. Vermouth has a too strong taste and smell, so ice cubes are added to the glass to soften its characteristics, making it softer and more restrained. If you add juice or water, the drink will become smoother. Orange or lemon juice can add a pleasant sourness and diversify its taste.
What do they snack on?
You can snack on salads and meat snacks, fruits, crackers, nuts, and hard cheese. In the USSR, due to the lack of a large selection of products, such wine was eaten with chicken, pies, and sandwiches. It may seem strange, but in Italy, the birthplace of vermouth, they still serve sandwiches with this drink. You can also snack on olives, olives, unsweetened snacks, and dark chocolate. It is better not to snack on sweet fruits, berries, or desserts, as the drink will seem cloyingly sweet. A universal snack option is vegetable, meat salads, seafood, and ham. Bitter with a strength of 25% is combined with boiled potatoes and fried meat. If you eat sandwiches, you should give preference to those prepared in Mediterranean countries. For example, spread an overripe avocado on a piece of bread and place a slice of salmon on top. Or make a sandwich with bread, lettuce, ham and olives. Such sandwiches highlight the taste of the drink.
Supply temperature
It is important to know what temperature the alcohol should be when served to make it pleasant to drink. So dry vermouth and Bianco are drunk chilled (about 8 or 12 degrees). Red types of the drink are consumed at room temperature. To do this, open the bottle in advance and let the wine breathe so that it warms up and reveals its entire bouquet of aromas.
A few more subtleties of use
- The drink is not intended for feasts. It is needed to lift your mood and improve your appetite. Is a great addition to dinner.
- Appetizers for vermouth are served depending on the circumstances. So, if it plays the role of an aperitif, then it is served with olives, hard cheese, salty crackers, and shrimp. If the drink is served on a sweet table, it is better to combine it with pineapples, dark chocolate, oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits.
- It is not customary to drink vermouth in the middle of a feast, however, if this happens, then Rose is combined with baked chicken, Rosso is well complemented by ham.
- In small quantities, vermouth has a tonic effect; if the drink is heated to 80 degrees, added honey, and then cooled to room temperature, the result is a cough medicine.
During the Soviet era, a stereotype developed that vermouth was an alcohol of dubious quality. It was prepared from low-quality wines and used herbs to mask the complete lack of quality. But in fact, this is a drink that, according to legend, Hippocrates himself had a hand in creating. Today you can enjoy its quality, which cannot be compared with the previous Soviet “boil.” The main thing in this matter is to find a good manufacturer.
Russians first became acquainted with vermouth back in Soviet times, when this drink was made from low-quality wines and was not popular. Now the situation is different, the Italians have taken the lead in the production of vermouth, the quality of their brands, for example, Martini, Cinzano and Grand Torino, is beyond doubt.
Vermouth(German: Wermut - wormwood) - fortified wine with an alcohol content of 11-25% (usually 16-18%) by volume, flavored with extracts of wormwood, yarrow, mint, cinnamon, cardamom, and other herbs and spices.
Since the times of Ancient Greece, vermouths have been used as medicinal infusions and only in the 18th century they became alcoholic drinks. Sweet red vermouths originated in Italy, and dry white vermouths originated in France, so the two basic types: Italian vermouth and French vermouth indicate the style of the drink, not the country of production.
The main ingredient of any vermouth is alpine wormwood, to which up to 50% of the total amount of herbs is added. Also widely used: yarrow, mint, cinnamon, cardamom, black elderberry, nutmeg, cinchona bark, citrus zest, tansy, chamomile, cloves, etc. In total, vermouth can contain several dozen ingredients.
First, all additives are dried and crushed, then infused in alcohol for up to 20 days. The resulting extract is filtered, mixed with a wine base, sugar and alcohol are added. Sugar softens the taste, and alcohol promotes the solubility of the herbal extract in wine. The finished vermouth is cooled to a negative temperature (down to -5 °C), filtered, gradually warmed to room temperature and bottled.
Popular vermouth brands: Martini, Cinzano, Campari, Dollin, Delasy, Salvatore. This means that Martini is just one of the brands of vermouth, and not a separate type of alcoholic drink, such as vodka, wine or cognac.
Types of vermouth
Each manufacturer has its own product labeling; the following are generally accepted classification elements:
- Secco, Dry (“secco”, “dry”, “dry”) - sugar content does not exceed 4%;
- Bianco (“Bianco”, “white”) - produced on the basis of white wine, sugar concentration 10-15%;
- Rosso (“Rosso”, “red”) – the basis is red wine, usually sweet drinks containing more than 15% sugar;
- Rose (“Rose”, “pink”) - consists of a mixture of white and red wine, usually contains 10-20% sugar;
- Bitter (“Bitter”, “bitter”) is a strong (30-75% vol.) vermouth with a bitter taste, herbs are infused on an alcohol base, there is no wine in the composition or its quantity is minimal.
Rules for drinking vermouth
1. Drink vermouth before and after meals, as it stimulates the appetite well.
2. Vermouths can be combined with other drinks, for example, juices or alcohol - vodka, gin, cognac. The optimal proportions are 1:1 or 1:2 (one part of the selected drink and two parts of vermouth).
3. In its pure form, vermouth is drunk from special cocktail glasses (see photo) or whiskey glasses. It is recommended to take the drink in small sips rather than drink it in one gulp. Serving temperature – 8-12 °C.
4. Fruits, salted almonds, olives and roasted nuts are great as a snack with vermouth.
5. Dry types of vermouth are not usually combined with other drinks; they are drunk chilled in their pure form.
6. Before drinking, it is better to mix sweet vermouths with lemon juice in a one to one ratio.
7. Bianco vermouths can be diluted with lemonade, tonic or soda. Thanks to this, you can balance their sweet taste. Red vermouths are usually drunk over ice or diluted with gin and tonic.
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