Ingredients

red vermouth

Also known as “Italian vermouth”,“rouge vermouth”,“sweet vermouth”,“rosso vermouth”,“rojo vermouth”. Red vermouth is generic for the reddish/brown sweet, spiced style of vermouth derived from the regional aperitif wine tradition of Torino, Italy (Vermouth di Torino). When the term vermouth is used alone, generally it is this style of vermouth that is implied, excepting when the term is used in conjunction with a Dry Martini in which case, the dry style is generally meant. Contrary to commonly held expectations, red vermouth is produced from white wine and gains its coloring from other ingredients, principally caramel coloring. Red vermouth is commonly called for as “sweet vermouth” or “Italian vermouth”, particularly in cocktail recipes. Other sweet vermouths exist that are not red, but they will typically be called for by another name (e.g., “white vermouth”). Moreover, many suitable red vermouths are made in places other than Italy. The de facto benchmark of red vermouths is market leader Martini Rosso, although many other options are available, including some excellent options not from Italy. Important historical note: the practice of adding caramel color to vermouth and calling it “red” dates to around World War I. During the 19th Century and first decade or so of the 20th, no vermouth was actually red (or particularly dark-colored, although it may have not been perfectly colorless, either).