Vermouth Spritz
Sweet vermouth, soda and an orange slice over ice. The Italian aperitivo at its simplest — bitter-sweet, herbal, about six per cent, and what a bottle of good vermouth is for.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Fill a wine glass or rocks glass with ice.
Add the vermouth.
Top with chilled soda water.
Stir once and garnish with an orange slice, and an olive if you like.
A thoughtful finish
- Keep opened vermouth in the fridge; it is wine and goes stale in weeks.
- Equal parts vermouth and soda is the standard; more soda for a lighter drink.
- Dry or bianco vermouth makes a paler, drier version.
Common mistakes
- A stale, oxidised vermouth that has sat on the shelf for months.
- Too much soda, which waters it to nothing.
- Skipping the orange; its oil is half the aroma.
A few good questions.
What does a Vermouth Spritz taste like?
Bitter-sweet wine with herbs, vanilla and orange, lightened with fizz — an aperitivo's aperitivo.
How strong is it?
About 7% at equal parts — lower than a glass of wine.
Which vermouth?
One you would drink neat: Carpano Antica, Cocchi Torino, Punt e Mes, or a Spanish vermut.
Is it the same as Spanish vermut?
Yes; the Spanish serve it on ice with soda, an olive and orange, often from the tap.
Variations
- Aperol Spritz — Aperol, prosecco and soda.
- Americano — Campari, sweet vermouth and soda.
- Campari Soda — Campari and soda.
- Hugo Spritz — Elderflower, prosecco, mint and soda.
Where it comes from
c. 1800s · Turin, Italy
Vermouth and soda is older than the spritz name: Turin’s cafés were serving vermouth with a splash of seltzer by the mid-1800s, when Carpano’s and Cinzano’s sweet vermouths were the city’s aperitivo, and it stayed the standard way to drink vermouth in Italy and Spain through the twentieth century. Spain’s vermut hour — vermouth on ice with soda, an olive and an orange slice — is the same drink. The modern ‘vermouth spritz’ name came with the Aperol Spritz boom of the 2010s and the vermouth revival that followed, when bars began listing it as a low-alcohol alternative. The vermouth is the whole drink, so use one you would drink neat: Carpano Antica, Cocchi Torino, Punt e Mes, or a Spanish vermut like Yzaguirre.
Sources
- Adam Ford, Vermouth, 2015 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Vermouth and Soda, 2012 (reference)
- Punch, The Vermouth Spritz, 2017 (reference)
Strength. About 0.67 US standard drinks at an estimated 7% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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