#vermouth

#vermouth

At Madeira Park in Atlanta, bar manager Philip Weltner's list of cocktails is built on the classics: a Negroni, a Manhattan, a Tuxedo. The through line is that almost every drink on the menu showcases fortified wine. Among this group is a lesser-known cocktail from the late 19th century called the Metropolitan . The earliest known reference to the Metropolitan is from O.H. Byron's Modern Bartenders' Guide , which was published in New York in 1884

So it's no surprise, in these Martini-mad times, that the Manhattan is now making a return as people seek to expand their repertoire of cocktails that are strong and stirred. "We have seen an increased interest in the Manhattan over the last 6 to 10 months," says Kristijonas Bazys, bar manager of Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London. "In my opinion, it's mostly fuelled by the broader revival of classic and heritage drinks such as the Old Fashioned, Martini, Sazerac etc, and the 'quality over quantity' drinking culture."

A naked martini is a martini made by pouring gin or vodka from a bottle kept in a freezer into a frozen glass with only the suggestion of vermouth.

Will Thompson isn't terribly impressed with the state of gin these days. When the owner of Sunny's in Miami goes out on the town in search of a Martini, he often faces a bit of a dilemma. "I look at the backbar and there's six gins that I think all taste kinda like shit," he says. He feels there's been a downturn in overall gin quality and proof level.

The upside-down martini, Child's iconic favorite cocktail, is a true inversion of what most people with strong opinions want from the drink. Martini fans will quibble over just how dry the cocktail should be, some argue that a 5:1 ratio of liquor to vermouth is the best, others claim 10:1 is ideal. The upside-down martini simply says, "let's make this refreshing," and goes with a 5:1 ratio of vermouth to gin (usually preferred over vodka in this drink).

Dolin’s dry vermouth has a depth and richness to it, balancing warm characteristics with bitter citrus, making it a key ingredient for an exceptional martini.