Vermouth is a fairly popular category of drinks; they are drunk both in pure form and as part of various cocktails. All vermouths can be divided into five large groups.
Types of vermouth
At present, the leading positions in the production of vermouth are occupied by Italians, the quality of well-known brands (Martini, Grand Torino, Chinzano) does not cause any doubts. To fully enjoy this drink, you need to follow a few simple rules.
Fortified wine is called vermouth, to which medicinal herbs and spices are added as flavors; quite often wormwood can be found in vermouth. Previously, this drink was prepared exclusively on the basis of white wines, but now many manufacturers use both red and rosé wines.
Vermouth is classified according to the type of wine and the amount of added sugar. The first group includes dry (secco) vermouths, the sugar content of which does not exceed 4%. It is customary to include white (blanco) vermouths in the next group, which can contain from 10 to 15% sugar. Red (rosso) vermouths usually contain more than 15% sugar. Rose vermouths contain 10 to 15% sugar. Strong bitter vermouths contain minimal amounts of sugar.
Methods of use
There are several universal rules for the use of vermouth, which do not depend on which group a particular drink belongs to.
You can drink this drink both before and after the main meal, as it has the ability to stimulate appetite and improve digestion. Vermouth is often mixed with other drinks, and both strong mixtures with vodka, cognac or gin and light mixes with various juices are popular.
In its pure form, this drink is drunk chilled from special cocktail glasses or special whiskey glasses. It is not recommended to drink vermouth in one gulp, small sips allow you to better appreciate the taste of this drink. In order not to dilute the drink with melting ice, it is better to use frozen grapes or special stones to cool alcoholic beverages.
Roasted nuts, salted almonds or fresh fruit are great for vermouth. Dry vermouths show themselves better in their pure form; when mixed with other drinks, their taste becomes simpler, it becomes flatter. Sweet vermouths go well with lemon juice in a one-to-one ratio. In general, sweet vermouths behave best in combination with sour juices, tonics or even soda; in such mixtures, the excess sweetness of vermouth disappears, while the intensity of the taste practically does not suffer.
