Vermouth: A Sprited Revival, with 40 Modern Cocktails

by Adam Ford

Vermouth is hitting its stride—again. The cocktail resurgence has put a spotlight on an often-overlooked ingredient in some of the most iconic cocktails of our vermouth. It appeared in America in the 1860s, reigned supreme in drinks like the Manhattan and the Martini, then fell out of favor during the counterculture days of the 1960s. But with artisanal cocktails now the rage, interest in vermouth is at a peak. After all, without it, your martini is merely a chilled vodka or gin.

More and more cocktail lovers are requesting more than a whisper of vermouth in their drinks. In fact, it’s touted as a low-alcohol alternative to sip on its own, or, if the ratio is tweaked, as tasty way to lighten up more traditionally strong drinks. Vermouth has a rich history, deeply intertwined with that of America, and, here, expert Adam Ford offers the first-ever detailed look into the background of this aromatized, fortified wine, as well as its rise, fall, and comeback in America.

With bold and delicious cocktail recipes—there are twists on the classic Boulevardier, a once-forgotten Brooklyn Cocktail, and a refreshing White Negroni—and color photographs throughout, Vermouth is a must-have book for anyone interested in drinking, or learning about, great cocktails.

Genres: Cocktails

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2015

About the author

Adam Ford, a lawyer by profession, is the founder of Atsby New York Vermouth.

Reviews

[Maria Cloos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great history and interpretation of vermouth. I was ready to give it 5 stars (reduced to 4 for the poor stylistic choice of really dark backgrounds for several pages with printing on them that were distracting and annoying to read). But then, as the book progressed, there were really odd editorial mistakes that one rarely sees in a printed book. Worse is the idiotic recipe writing. He doesn’t list ingredients in the order used, fails to include all ingredients in the ingredient list and sometimes forgets to include a quantity. Why is this so difficult? It seems to be particularly prevalent when the ingredient missing from the ingredient list is champagne (not just here - PDT’s book has this strange flaw as well).

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of super cool history of Vermouth. Following a trip to Barcelona where we learned how delicious and refreshing sipping sweet vermouth can be, I truly enjoyed learning more and from a different and current perspective.

[krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Effective as a reference or as a straight read, though there are quite a few repetitions of ancillary facts. I get it, the Spanish "do vermouth"! A little showboating here and there, but the author mentions from the outset that they own a vermouth company. The recipes are thoughtfully organized, a feat that few modern cocktail books have managed to accomplish. Photos are gorgeous, but it kills me that a recipe will call for serving the cocktail stirred/strained and served with an orange peel, but then the glamour shot has it served on the rocks with an olive.

That being said, the book is well-researched and informative and has me super pumped to try as many new-wave American craft vermouths I can get my hands on.

[William Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the book is good information on what vermouth is, where it comes from, and how to make it. Those parts are good. Occasionally, though, the author likes to talk about his own life in a way that suggests a bit of bragging, which was off-putting. Also, I don't even know where to get all the ingredients for the recipes in the back. I ended up skimming that part. Overall, though, a fun read.