Walking into a vermutería with more than forty bottles is intimidating the first time. What if I order something I do not like? What if I order it "wrong"? Do not worry: there is no incorrect way to order a vermut. The only thing you need to know is what you usually like. The rest we sort out at the bar.
If you are still not sure exactly what a vermut is, start with our guide to the category. Here we go straight to the practical: how it is served, how to choose and how to order it without stage fright.
How to drink vermut: however you like it, but cold
On one thing everyone agrees: vermut is drunk cold. And that is where the agreement ends, because not even the exact temperature is written in stone. Oro Nómada recommends 8–12 °C for its bottles; Corona de Aragón puts 8-10 ºC on its label. Each house has its number, and no regulation compels it.
What we do have decided at La Bitácora: the vermut always arrives with ice already in the glass, without anyone asking for it. You only choose which one.
With ice, lengthened or in a cocktail
- With ice. The house way. It chills and, as it melts, it softens: if a vermut strikes you as intense, this may be just what you need. Lustau serves its red and its white this way; Pérez Barquero recommends it "neat or with ice", with no further fuss.
- With seltzer, soda or tonic. A longer, more refreshing drink. It changes the concentration and the sweetness you taste; it is not "watered-down vermut", it is another way of drinking it. The Rosé from Espinaler, as it happens, is designed precisely for that: tonic, soda or even cava.
- In a cocktail. Negroni, Americano, whatever you fancy. That is fine, although it is not what you come here looking for.
No option is "the right one". It is a matter of taste, full stop.
Orange, olive or nothing at all
Orange in the red and olive in the white? It depends who you ask. Lustau pairs its red with orange peel and its white with a green olive. Pérez Barquero calls for no garnish: neat or with ice. If the bodegas themselves cannot agree, we are hardly going to settle it from behind the bar.
The garnish adds aroma and a touch of flavour. Try it first with nothing; if you find something missing, the citrus or the olive is still there. And as for "orange opens up the vermut": sometimes it does, depending on the bottle in front of you.
Four questions that really help you choose
Forget the colour for a moment. With these four answers we can give you a proper recommendation:
- Sweeter or drier?
- What appeals to you most: citrus and floral, herbal, or spiced and balsamic?
- Gentle bitterness or bitterness with character?
- Do you want it with ice, lengthened or for mixing?
It is not an exam and there are no wrong answers. It is just vocabulary. With an "I like mine barely sweet, a bit citrusy and without much ice" we almost have it.
Red, white, dry, sweet: no shortcuts
And here is the myth we are going to knock down: colour does not tell you the sweetness. There are sweet and aromatic whites, dry reds, and European regulation does not even link colour with sugar. What marks the sweetness is what the label says: dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet.
Careful with "dry": it is not the same as sugar-free. The European regulation sets the limit at less than 50 g/l for "dry", and a "sweet" vermut (from 130 g/l) can finish with a most elegant bitterness. Bitter and sweet are not enemies: they live together in the same glass without clashing.
As a tendency (only as a tendency), red tends to be rounder and more spiced; white, more floral and citrusy. Useful as a clue. Disastrous as a fixed rule.
The order that never fails
Still not sure? Perfectly legitimate. Here goes an infallible classic: a red vermut, well chilled, with ice and an orange peel. Nobody will raise an eyebrow, and rightly so: it is the order people have been placing forever.
Then, no rush. Short sips, a moment to smell it (herbs, citrus, something you would not be able to name, and that is fine) and something salty on the side, even if it is just a few olives. If halfway through the glass it starts to feel strong, a splash of seltzer softens it straight away. And if curiosity gets the better of you, you know where we are.
What to order at La Bitácora
We have more than forty references, vermut on tap and non-alcoholic options for whoever does not drink, does not want to or cannot. There is no need to study the menu before coming. With a "What do you recommend?" or a "we have not got the hang of this vermut thing", we get down to work: we ask, we recommend and, if you like, we bring you two glasses to compare.
If you like to have a look before you arrive, here is the menu. And if your thing is organising the visit, here you will find the address, how to get there and our WhatsApp.
Vermut time is not an office schedule. Tradition says it comes before lunch, unhurried, with something to nibble and with good company. But if the craving takes you at eight in the evening, it is still vermut time. That we do not argue with.