The one and only comprehensive tasting guide to Dry Vermouth.
Check the individual regional Dry Vermouth guides for more detailed information on regional styles and recommended bottles:
If you're new to the world of vermouth, check out my Introduction to Vermouth post to learn some basics, introduce yourself to some of the terminology used, and get a general overview of how these guides are structured (and why). Then join me back here to get into the details!
Antica Torino Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Antica Torino
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Cortese
Known Botanicals: at least 6 including wormwood, muscat yarrow, sage, thistle, centaury, and hyssop
Sugar: 33 g/l
Nose: gentian, mint, cinnamon, licorice, oregano, marzipan
Palate: cinchona, lemon, nutmeg, cinnamon, white peach, marzipan
Finish: cinchona, clove, lemon, dried hay, mint, orange
Additional Notes: Green-tinted straw color. Medium body with bright, almost champagne acidity. Fortified with neutral wheat grain distillate. A vermouth lover's vermouth, this is one heckuva dry vermouth. A bit more oxidized grape than you typically get from Italian dry vermouth. Benefits from a little time to breathe once the bottle is opened.
BCN Vermut Ambar Mediterranean Dry
Origin: Spain
Producer: BCN
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Garnacha Blanca
Known Botanicals: At least 13: wormwood, clove, angelica, cinnamon, orange peel, elderflower, juniper, rosemary, vanilla, laurel, thyme, fennel, pine shoots
Sugar: N/A
Nose: sandalwood, vanilla, myrrh, cinnamon, sage, rose, orange, mint, clove, strawberry
Palate: wormwood, cinnamon, lemon, clove, thyme, fennel, eucalyptus, strawberry, vanilla
Finish: wormwood, eucalyptus, cedar, cinnamon, oregano, orange, vanilla, clove
Additional Notes: Deep copper color. Fortified with brandy distilled from Cariñena and Garnacha Blanca. Medium body. Clove and wormwood dominate from start to finish. Very bitter with a drying, moreish quality. Dilution brings out a lot of vanilla.
BCN Vermut Negre Barrel-Aged Mediterranean Dry
Origin: Spain
Producer: BCN
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Garnacha Blanca
Known Botanicals: At least 13: wormwood, clove, angelica, cinnamon, orange peel, elderflower, juniper, rosemary, vanilla, laurel, thyme, fennel, pine shoots
Sugar: N/A
Nose: licorice, lemon, cinnamon, butterscotch, sarsaparilla, amaretto, sandalwood, bitter orange, cherry, vanilla, nutmeg
Palate: toffee, cedar, mushroom, wormwood, coffee, lemon, mint, juniper, cinnamon, cherry, white pepper
Finish: cherry, vanilla, cinnamon, toffee, coffee, ash, mushroom, juniper, almond, hay
Additional Notes: Deep red-tinted brown appearance. Barrel-aged between 9 and 12 months. Limited Edition (600-1000 bottles). Fortified with brandy distilled from Cariñena and Garnacha Blanca. Mineral and salinic with a medium-light body. Lots of Dr. Pepper/cherry cola notes with plenty of wormwood and toffee throughout. Reminded me a bit of the profile of amari like Amargo Vallet. Vanilla comes through prominently when mixed.
Berto Extra Secco
Origin: Italy
Producer: Carlo Quaglia, distributed by Kermit Lynch
ABV: 19%
Wine Base: Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc, Cortese, Chardonnay
Known Botanicals: at least 8, wormwood, dittany, marjoram, ginger, lemon, cardamom, tarragon, lavender
Sugar: 20 g/l
Nose: oregano, lemon, tarragon, wormwood, orange, gorgonzola, green olive, gentian
Palate: lemon, wormwood, marjoram, fennel, ginger, rosemary, tarragon
Finish: lavender, marjoram, orange, lemon, green cardamom, rosemary, tarragon
Additional Notes: Pale straw yellow appearance. Bitter and herbal with very light spice and a floral finish.
Boissiere Extra Dry
Origin: Italy (France from 1857 to 1971)
Producer: Boissiere, distributed by Palm Bay International
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: at least 8, wormwood, gentian, elderflower, bitter orange, iris, chamomile, gentian, coriander
Sugar: N/A
Nose: pineapple, lychee, rose
Palate: white raspberry, gentian, coriander, orange blossom, cumin
Finish: gentian, raspberry, orange blossom, dandelion
Additional Notes: Crystalline appearance. Bone-dry, bright, and acidic with a very thin body. Boissiere Extra Dry is a Chambery style vermouth originally produced in France from 1857 until 1971 when production was moved to Turin, Italy.
Bordiga Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Bordiga, distributed by Oliver McCrum Wines
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Cortese, Moscato
Known Botanicals: at least 30, wormwood, gentian root, gentian flower, juniper, chamomile, nutmeg, coriander, fennel, vanilla, cardamom, sage, carnation berries, quassia, cinchona, marjoram, lime
Sugar: N/A
Nose: fennel, mango, papaya, ripe melon, prosciutto
Palate: orange, lemon oil, juniper, chamomile, cinnamon
Finish: gentian, chamomile, grapefruit, nutmeg
Additional Notes: Straw yellow appearance. A Vermouth di Torino with many botanicals hand-foraged in the Piedmontese Alps near the distillery. The juniper and gentian notes are highlighted with dilution.
Carpano Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Carpano
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Moscato, Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc
Known Botanicals: at least 2, wormwood, dittany
Sugar: 30 g/l
Nose: peach, plum, lemon oil, oregano, pepper, dried leaves
Palate: cedar, fennel, cinnamon, anise, oregano
Finish: anise, fennel, hay, barnyard earthiness
Additional Notes: Silvery straw in appearance. A richer, more full-bodied vermouth than your average Italian offering; Carpano vermouths tend to be quite bold and Carpano Dry is no exception. Heavy on the warming baking spices. Holds up to dilution nicely. The fennel and anise notes tend to punch through when mixed.
Channing Daughters Vervino Dry
Origin: USA
Producer: Channing Daughters Winery
ABV: 19.5%
Wine Base: Sauvignon Blanc
Known Botanicals: 30 total, calendula, fennel, sage, nasturtium, lemon balm, rose, basil, black birch, chives, spiked za’tar
Sugar: 4.19 g/l residual sugar, lightly sweetened with honey
Nose: grape, orange, honeysuckle, tarragon, pear, hay
Palate: angelica root, lemon verbena, green apple, grape, underripe peach, fennel, lemon
Finish: hay, tarragon, lemon, dandelion greens, elderflower, angelica root
Additional Notes: Variation 1, Batch 4. Nutty, stemmy, and mineralic. No discernible wormwood bitterness - or cinchona, gentian, or any other common bittering herb for that matter. A delicious aromatized wine, but a bit of a stretch to call it vermouth. Tricky to mix with because of its low sugar content, but a joy to drink neat or iced.
Cinzano Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Cinzano, distributed by Campari Group
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc
Known Botanicals: 14 total, wormwood, chamomile, rose petal
Sugar: N/A
Nose: honey, pine, damp vegetation, moss, oregano
Palate: lemon peel, white peach, thyme
Finish: wormwood, green apple, tree bark, chamomile
Additional Notes: Very pale yellow, almost clear. Profile is a bit thin and is easily lost in dilution. Additionally, I find it a bit more difficult to mix with as it is so bitter and tart, with savory notes that seem to clash with whatever its mixed with. Certainly not bad, but best enjoyed neat or on ice. Solid enough, but a bit boring to be honest.
Cinzano 1757 Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Cinzano
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: wormwood, green apple, rhubarb, honeysuckle, lemon, clove, millet, orange, thyme, sage, chrysanthemum
Palate: wormwood, green apple, lemon, cinnamon, coriander, tree bark, marjoram, rosemary, hay
Finish: wormwood, cinnamon, clove, orange, green apple, marjoram, rosemary, mineralic, sea salt
Additional Notes: Vermouth di Torino. Very pale green tinted straw yellow appearance. Light bodied, slightly oily texture. Floral, stemmy, a bit fruity, spicy, salinic, and most importantly bitter, it's a wonderfully balanced bottle with the perfect amount of acidity. Leans heavily into green apple, wormwood, marjoram, and clove. This is a heck of an upgrade from Cinzano's more commonly found Extra Dry which I find serviceable and little more. A top-notch dry vermouth and one of the best Italian dry vermouths on the market period. Well worth hunting down.
Dolin Dry
Origin: France
Producer: Dolin, distributed by Haus Alpenz
ABV: 17.5%
Wine Base: Jacquere, Ugni Blanc/Trebbiano
Known Botanicals: 17 total, wormwood, brooklime, rose, orange bark, verbena, yellow genepi
Sugar: 30 g/l
Nose: oregano, basil, pineapple, lychee, dry forest, cinnamon
Palate: pineapple, oregano, grass, green apple, lemon, mugwort, lime
Finish: marjoram, lemon verbena, pineapple, walnut, faint wormwood, nutmeg
Additional Notes: Golden color with a light-green tinge. Claims to be the only remaining producer of Vermouth de Chambery. Medium body. The embodiment of the Chambery style and the benchmark for most dry vermouth. Light, complex flavors balance fruit and savory herbs with very little bitterness. It generally mixes well with everything.
Florentino Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Giacome Sperone I.VI.S. Spa
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: coriander, cumin, lemon, orange, vanilla, fennel, cinnamon, cinchona
Palate: cinchona, lemon, orange, gentian, coriander, white pepper, tarragon, cinnamon
Finish: lemon, faint wormwood, thyme, white tea, licorice, cinchona, cinnamon
Additional Notes: Faint straw yellow color. Very little sugar, but an oily body to compensate. Herbaceous backbone typical of Italian dry vermouth, but notably brighter and sharper with a nice cinchona bite.
Foro Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Foro
ABV: 17.5%
Wine Base: Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc
Known Botanicals: at least 19, Roman wormwood, lemon peel, rose hip flower, thyme, aloe vera, gentian, St. John’s Wort, juniper, marjoram, coriander, ginger, clove, chamomile, cinchona bark, cardamom, angelica, vanilla, angostura bark, elderberry
Sugar: N/A
Nose: butterscotch, vanilla, lemon, toffee, wormwood, juniper, thyme
Palate: vanilla, orange, lemon, cinnamon, toffee, oregano, cinchona, guava, green apple
Finish: orange, vanilla, wormwood, cinchona, lemon, cacao, tarragon, green apple
Additional Notes: Pale straw yellow appearance. Vermouth di Torino. Claims to be the first vermouth produced using 100% organically grown grapes. Needs time to open up, allowing the brighter herbaceous notes to poke through lots of creamy baking spice. Bitter, acidic, confectionary, and herbaceous with some underlying caramel apple throughout.
Gallo Extra Dry
Origin: USA
Producer: E. & J. Gallo Winery
ABV: 16%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: N/A
Sugar: N/A
Nose: grass, green olive, briny melon
Palate: oxidized white wine, green olive, quinine, dirty leaves, hint of licorice sweetness
Finish: green olive, hint of dried oregano, green apple tart rather than bitter
Additional Notes: A thin, wholly uninteresting vermouth. Little other than its green olive brine flavor comes through in cocktails. This is definitely a bottle to be avoided, but if you’re stuck with no other option than this or Tribuno, this is the vastly superior American brand. The juice, like most bottom shelf wine products in the USA (Barefoot, Boone’s Farm, Carlo Rossi, and just about every other label you can recognize under $10) is sourced from E&J Gallo. Funny enough, for all of the subpar brands they claim, Gallo isn’t listed in their portfolio online. We’re left with another mysterious bottle of mystery liquid which may or may not actually resemble vermouth at all. Judging by the taste, it’s a bad approximation at best. The lack of body and assertive flavor make it difficult to mix with.
Gancia Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Gancia
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: at least 9, wormwood, bitter orange, sweet orange, cinnamon, sandalwood, clove, nutmeg, cinchona
Sugar: N/A
Nose: lemon oil, bark, pear, honeysuckle
Palate: sage, oregano, plum, briny, apricot
Finish: wormwood, apricot, lemon oil, olive brine, nutmeg
Additional Notes: Light straw color. Reminds me a bit of Cinzano, but less astringent.
Gonzalez Byass Extra Seco
Origin: Spain
Producer: González Byass, distributed by Gonzalez Byass UK
ABV: 17%
Wine Base: Palomino
Known Botanicals: 6 total, wormwood, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, orange peel, savory
Sugar: 28 g/l
Nose: cinnamon, lemon, orange, clove, fino sherry, walnut, pine
Palate: wormwood, cinnamon, vanilla, pumpkin, clove, rosemary, cranberry, sea salt
Finish: clove, pumpkin, fino sherry, sea salt, orange, nutty
Additional Notes: Very pale with a slight yellow tinge. The sherry base is evident. A little more tart than bitter. Great on its own or in Martinis, though it doesn't hold up particularly well to dilution.
Kedem Dry
Origin: USA
Producer: Kedem Winery, distributed by Royal Wine Corp.
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: N/A
Sugar: N/A
Nose: concord grape, raisin, cinchona, lemon, clove, vanilla
Palate: clove, lemon, cinchona, grapefruit
Finish: lemon, toasted oat, rye, sulfur
Additional Notes: Rich straw color, slightly orange-tinged. Produced and bottled in New Jersey. Kosher. Bone dry with vinegar acidity. Not bitter. Savory with lots of grain on the finish. Generally unpleasant from start to finish.
Lacuesta Extra Dry
Origin: Spain
Producer: Bodegas Martinez Lacuesta
ABV: 14.96%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: at least 20, wormwood
Sugar: 28.8 g/l
Nose: lemon, wormwood, cinnamon, orange, chamomile, bay leaf, tarragon, pine, banana
Palate: lemon, orange, wormwood, raisin, cinnamon, grapefruit, sea salt, chamomile, pine
Finish: lemon, wormwood, cinchona, green apple, cinnamon, raisin, faint licorice
Additional Notes: Light straw yellow with a faint green hue. Seemingly the same product as Lacuesta Blanco, but with less added sugar. Extremely dry and salinic with a drying finish brought on by a sustained lingering bitterness. Dilution brings out tons of cinnamon and raisin notes which peek through into cocktails when mixed. Like many Spanish dry vermouths, there are big fino sherry vibes.
La Quintinye Extra Dry Vermouth Royal
Origin: France
Producer: La Quintinye
ABV: 17%
Wine Base: Ugni Blanc/Trebbiano
Known Botanicals: 27 total, wormwood, angelica, cinnamon bark, quassia amara, ginger, green cardamom, vine flower, licorice, iris root, bitter orange, nutmeg, cinchona
Sugar: N/A
Nose: pine, sap, lemon, rosemary, lavender
Palate: rosemary, sage, licorice, orange, chamomile, nutmeg
Finish: rosemary, wormwood, lemon oil, eucalyptus, forest floor musk
Additional Notes: Vibrant golden color. Pineau des Charantes used in addition to neutral grape spirit to fortify. A very bold, piney vermouth with a light, oily body. Really incredible stuff, but trickier to mix with since it doesn't fit a traditional dry vermouth profile. In fact, I found it to be overpowering in just about every classic cocktail I tried it in. That said, it shines in spritzes and can be used as a wintery modifier.
Lionello Stock Extra Dry
Origin: Czech Republic
Producer: Stock
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: at least 50, wormwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: green apple, tarragon, fennel, cinnamon, lemon, gentian, cucumber, clove
Palate: green apple, lemon, grapefruit, tarragon, oregano, honey, cinchona, fino sherry
Finish: green apple, grass, lemon, orange, cinnamon, grapefruit, dried straw, clove, fino sherry
Additional Notes: Very faint yellow/green tint. Absolutely bone dry with a thin body to match. Extreme, almost juicy acidity. Drinks like a Spanish, sherry-wine based vermouth like Yzaguirre or Miro.
Little City Dry
Origin: USA
Producer: Little City
ABV: 17.5%
Wine Base: Cayuga White
Known Botanicals: 38 total
Sugar Content: N/A
Nose: orange, cinnamon, straw, honeysuckle, white grape, star anise, cinchona, mint, sandalwood, raisin
Palate: grass, green apple, lemon, cinnamon, orange, licorice root, quinine, eucalyptus, melon rind
Finish: green apple, cinnamon, cinchona, grass, mint, orange, sea salt
Additional Notes: Golden straw color. Very light body with trace oiliness. Tart and acidic on the palate rather than bitter. Brings a little bit of dried hay and some farmhouse funk to cocktails. An assertive expression which I found delicious when it was the star of the show, but a little tricky to mix with.
Lo-Fi Dry
Origin: USA
Producer: Lo-Fi Aperitifs
ABV: 16.5%
Wine Base: Muscat Canelli, Chardonnay
Known Botanicals: 7 total, fennel, coriander, cardamom, elderflower, cherry, anise, chamomile
Sugar Content: N/A
Nose: anise, fennel, green cardamom, coriander, elderflower
Palate: cherry, anise, fennel, licorice
Finish: anise, fennel, chamomile, cherry
Additional Notes: Straw yellow color. Wine is sourced from E&J Gallo, but don’t let that be an indicator of the quality of the product; it’s a great vermouth that makes for an interesting and complex sipper and mixer. The cherry and anise flavors are the stars of the show and impart a perceived sweetness. The flavor profile is so fruity and heavily spiced I would hesitate before simply substituting it in recipes that call for dry vermouth. I found it overpowering, but interesting in a Martini and a Clover Club, and it played wonderfully with rye whiskey in a Scofflaw and an Old Pal.
Mancino Secco
Origin: Italy
Producer: Mancino
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc
Known Botanicals: 19 total, wormwood, sage, marjoram, oregano, lemongrass, dog rose, pimento, nutmeg, orris root, cardamom
Sugar: 18 g/l
Nose: sage, marjoram, oregano, lemongrass, chamomile, wormwood, honeysuckle, orange blossom
Palate: grapefruit, wormwood, nutmeg, lemon, cranberry, cinchona, cinnamon, honey, nutmeg
Finish: grapefruit, mint, wormwood, chamomile, cranberry, allspice, lemon
Additional Notes: Pale yellow with a hint of green. Very light body. Juicy and bitter, finishes acidic and bone dry. Doesn't linger on the palate. Bitter through and through.
Martelletti Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Casa Martelletti
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Trebbiano
Known Botanicals: at least 20, wormwood, cinnamon, myrrh, gentian, cinchona
Sugar: N/A
Nose: cinnamon, green peppercorn, raisin, sage, lemon, cinchona, orange, oregano, vanilla, banana
Palate: cinchona, clove, grapefruit, wormwood, juniper, sage, almond, orange, pineapple
Finish: wormwood, cinchona, lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg, juniper, rosemary, coriander, mint
Additional Notes: Vermouth di Torino. Green-tinted straw yellow color. Round, oily mouthfeel. Bitter and stemmy with a drying finish.
Martini & Rossi Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Martini & Rossi, distributed by Bacardi Limited
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc, Catarratto
Known Botanicals: at least 30 total, two different artemesia roots, orris root, sage, coriander, allspice, chamomile, raspberry, Spanish lemon peel, Tunisian bitter orange peel, dittany, red provins rose flowers, sweet violet flowers, cascarilla bark, quassia bark, gentian root, clove, ceylon cinnamon bark
Sugar: 30 g/l
Nose: raspberry, ripe stone fruit, funky tropical fruit, lychee, honeysuckle
Palate: raspberry, lemon zest, green apple, cantaloupe, white peach, gentian bitter
Finish: raspberry, dill, lemon, lingering oregano, warm finish
Additional Notes: Pale straw with a grassy. A fine workhorse vermouth. Personally, I find that it shines on its own and is fickle when mixed, often highlighting its bitter, astringent notes.
Maurin Dry
Origin: France
Producer: Maurin, distributed by Pacific Edge Wine & Spirits
ABV: 17%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: at least 9, wormwood, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, gentian, orange, cardamom, lemon
Sugar: N/A
Nose: orange, rosemary, cinnamon, pine, gentian
Palate: orange, gentian, peach, lemon oil, cognac, cranberry, cinnamon
Finish: orange, cinnamon, sage, nutmeg
Additional Notes: Light orange color. Very confectionary, an outlier in the French dry category.
Miro Extra Dry
Origin: Spain
Producer: Vermuts Miró
ABV: 17%
Wine Base: Airen (75%), Macabeo (25%)
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: basil, tomato, juniper, oregano
Palate: lemon pith, bark, green apple, mineralic, black pepper
Finish: salinic, mineralic, olive brine, underripe stone fruit
Additional Notes: Pale straw color. Vermouth de Reus designation. Drinks like a fino sherry. Extremely salinic. No added sugar, consequently bone dry with a very light body. Doesn't really hold up to dilution.
Montanaro Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Montanaro, distributed by Domaine Select Wine & Spirits
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: at least 5% Marsala
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: 25 g/l
Nose: lemon, gentian, cinchona, chamomile, white grape, cinnamon, pear
Palate: green grape, wormwood, lemon, pear, cinnamon, juniper
Finish: wormwood, lemon, gentian, tart green apple
Additional Notes: Light straw color. Vermouth di Torino designation. The low sugar content keeps it from lingering on the palate and the bitterness further dries it out.
Noilly Prat Extra Dry (discontinued formula)
Origin: France
Producer: Noilly Prat, distributed by Bacardi Limited
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Clairette
Known Botanicals: 14 total, including wormwood, chamomile, nutmeg, bitter orange, gentian, raspberry
Sugar: 29 g/
Nose: lemon, mango, peach, hay, green apple, bay leaf, chamomile, papaya
Palate: lemon, cinchona, apple, grass, pear, chamomile, white pepper
Finish: lemon, cinchona, apple, raisin, grass, faint wormwood, white pepper, dandelion
Additional Notes: Faint straw yellow appearance. A response to the popularity of the bone-dry martini and vodka martinis, this vermouth was made for the American market. Reformulated and arguably improved in 2020.
Noilly Prat Extra Dry (2020)
Origin: France
Producer: Noilly Prat, distributed by Bacardi Limited
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Clairette
Known Botanicals: 14 total, including wormwood, chamomile, nutmeg, bitter orange, gentian, raspberry
Sugar: 35 g/
Nose: raisin, orange, green apple, peach, rose, chamomile, pear, lemon, cinchona
Palate: lemon, raisin, white tea, chamomile, coriander, bay leaf, orange, green apple, raspberry
Finish: pineapple, cinchona, raspberry, chamomile, bay leaf, white leaf, cherry blossom
Additional Notes: Faint straw yellow appearance. A response to the popularity of the bone-dry martini and vodka martinis, this vermouth was made for the American market. Reformulated and arguably improved in 2020.
Noilly Prat Extra Dry (discontinued formula)
Origin: France
Producer: Noilly Prat, distributed by Bacardi Limited
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Clairette
Known Botanicals: 14 total, wormwood, chamomile, nutmeg, bitter orange, gentian, raspberry
Sugar: 29 g/
Nose: lemon, mango, peach, hay, green apple, bay leaf, chamomile, papaya
Palate: lemon, cinchona, apple, grass, pear, chamomile, white pepper
Finish: lemon, cinchona, apple, raisin, grass, faint wormwood, white pepper, dandelion
Additional Notes: As of 2020, this formula was discontinued and replaced with a brighter, fruitier, more acidic expression. Almost clear in color. Bone dry with light acidity. A response to the popularity of the bone-dry Martini and vodka Martinis, this vermouth was made for the American market.
Noilly Prat Original Dry
Origin: France
Producer: Noilly Prat, distributed by Bacardi Limited
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Picpoul, Clairette
Known Botanicals: 20 total, wormwood, chamomile, nutmeg, bitter orange, gentian, raspberry, coriander, cardamom, elderflower, centaury, clove
Sugar: 35 g/l
Nose: peach, white pepper, tarragon, coriander, chamomile, lemon, cinnamon, raspberry, elderflower
Palate: elderflower, chamomile, orange, cinnamon, wormwood, lemon, raspberry
Finish: orange, peach, chamomile, elderflower, coriander, tarragon, wormwood, gentian
Additional Notes: Straw yellow color. Oily texture with a medium-light body. Fruity and spiced. Tons of elderflower and chamomile. Salinic.
Noilly Prat Original Dry (discontinued formula)
Origin: France
Producer: Noilly Prat, distributed by Bacardi Limited
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Picpoul, Clairette
Known Botanicals: 20 total, wormwood, chamomile, nutmeg, bitter orange, gentian, raspberry, coriander, cardamom, elderflower, centaury, clove
Sugar: 40 g/l
Nose: tarragon, orange, chamomile, sherry, pear, millet, coriander, fig
Palate: orange, underripe pear, coriander, wormwood, tree bark, hay, nutmeg, butterscotch, gentian
Finish: tarragon, nutmeg, wormwood, lemon, chamomile, coriander, Sichuan peppercorn, hay
Additional Notes: As of 2020, this formula has been discontinued and replaced by a lighter, fruitier update by the same name. Rich, golden straw colored. Oily texture with a medium body. One of my favorite mixing vermouths as it plays well with most spirits and its sugar content helps it hold up to dilution. I find it especially successful in any shaken cocktail which calls for dry vermouth (i.e., Clover Club, Scofflaw, etc.).
Oka Kura Bermutto
Origin: Japan
Producer: Tsutsumi Distillery
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Junmai Sake (fermented rice alcohol, not wine)
Known Botanicals: 4 total, yomogi (Japanese wormwood), yuzu, kabosu, sansho peppercorn
Sugar: N/A
Nose: pear, sansho peppercorn, yuzu, grapefruit, peach, yeast, guava, green apple
Palate: yuzu, grapefruit, wormwood, sansho peppercorn, yeast, tarragon, rice shochu, grass
Finish: grapefruit, yuzu, grass, yeast, tarragon, sansho peppercorn
Additional Notes: Straw yellow color with flecks of rice and yeast sediment due to minimal filtration. A sake-based vermouth. Fortified with 100% rice shochu. Claims to be the first and only Japanese vermouth, though their website describes a long history of the Japanese adding botanicals to their sake. A non-traditional product that works surprisingly well in traditional applications. Incredibly citrusy with heavy grapefruit and yuzu notes throughout and a permeating yeasty funk. Medium-light body. I imagine there is very little sugar added.
Rockwell Extra Dry
Origin: USA
Producer: Rockwell Vermouth Co.
ABV: 16.5%
Wine Base: Symphony
Known Botanicals: California sagebrush
Sugar Content: 18-20 g/l
Nose: lemon, oregano, sandalwood, cumin, cinnamon, white grape, sage, mint, grass
Palate: lemon, white pepper, nutmeg, white sage, chicory leaf, coriander, mugwort, oregano, tarragon
Finish: savory, lemon, nutmeg, marjoram, white grape, orange, grass, basil, chicory
Additional Notes: Lot 1 bottling. Very pale straw color. Light, oily body with a dry, warming finish. Bone dry and moreish. Absolutely incredible on its own or in cocktails. Primarily bittered with Artemesia Californica.
Routin Dry
Origin: France
Producer: Distillerie des Alpes
ABV: 16.9%
Wine Base: Sauvignon, Jacquere
Known Botanicals: 17 total, wormwood, rose petals, juniper, rosemary, bitter almond
Sugar: 24 g/l
Nose: raisin, pineapple, orange, Pineau des Charantes, apple, sage, lemon
Palate: wormwood, apple, sage, juniper, rose, orange, raisin, fig, lemon, bark
Finish: wormwood, lemon, rose, savory, lavender, sage, tarragon, stemmy
Additional Notes: Light rosy orange color. Fantastic, but requires a bit of rejiggering in classics as it is particularly bitter and salinic. Tends to echo the juniper notes in gin.
Sand Castle Winery Dry
Origin: USA
Producer: Sand Castle Winery
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: N/A
Sugar Content: N/A
Nose: oregano, guava, mineralic, white peach, lavender
Palate: lemon, citrus pith, dandelion, grapefruit
Finish: grapefruit, gentian bitter, drying, bitter, acidic
Additional Notes: Rich, golden color. Only available in Pennsylvania. Very light body, an unexpectedly bitter expression for an American vermouth.
Spatola Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: N/A
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: N/A
Sugar Content: N/A
Nose: sulfur, hot dog water, cooked beans
Palate: white grape, ripe stone fruit, lemon, orange, prosciutto, oregano
Finish: lemon, barnyard, grapefruit, grape juice
Additional Notes: Straw yellow color. The off-putting nose immediately gave me flashbacks to Tribuno dry vermouth. Fortunately, Spatola is better than Tribuno, though not by much. The nose is unctuous, the palate strangely sweet and fruity, and the finish a muddy cross between the two. Generally unpleasant.
Tribuno Extra Dry (current formula)
Origin: USA
ABV: 16%
Producer: Tribuno
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: N/A
Sugar: N/A
Nose: acetone, white grape, peach candy, guava, mineralic
Palate: white grape, lemon, mint, grass, underripe pineapple, faint cinchona, sea salt
Finish: white grape, lemon, grass, guava, menthol, faint cinchona, stemmy
Additional Notes: When I launched this blog, I found Tribuno Extra Dryso repulsive I performed the tasting twice with two different bottles purchased from two different shops just in case my first bottle had gone "off." Thankfully, along with new packaging, Tribuno seems to have reformulated their Extra Dry for the (incrementally) better. The complete lack of body confirms this is certainly an extra dry expression. Tastes like a watered down white grape juice and tonic water. Leagues better than the bottles I tasted pre-2019 and much more in line with the cloying, synthetic fruit profile of Tribuno's sweet vermouth.
Tribuno Extra Dry (discontinued formula)
Origin: USA
Producer: N/A
ABV: 16%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: N/A
Sugar: N/A
Nose: apricot, acetone, burnt rubber, sea salt
Palate: hot dog water, sulfur, beach sediment, sweat, prosciutto
Finish: ocean mud, sulfur, hardboiled egg, grass
Additional Notes: Dirty tap water color, tinged slightly yellow/green. Quite possibly the worst “vermouth” I’ve ever tasted. It hit the market in 1938 when Americans were rinsing their glasses with vermouth to make Martinis so I have to wonder if Tribuno created a vermouth so pungent it could be tasted and smelled in only trace amounts. Seriously, if Tribuno is the only bottle of vermouth you have access to, just drink something else. It is unbearable on its on and ruins every drink you put it in, no matter how little you use. This product is so bad I had to buy a second bottle for the tasting to be sure I didn’t somehow end up with actual poison. Tribuno and its New York-based distributor have no website or online presence to get any information from so I have no idea the wine sourced for the base, the sugar content, or any of the botanicals used. As it's an American vermouth, not even the wormwood is a given. There’s definitely something bitter, but it may just be me after forcing myself to drink this swill.
Vya Extra Dry
Origin: USA
Producer: Quady Winery
ABV: 17%
Wine Base: Variable mix, Orange Muscat, Colombard
Known Botanicals: at least 15 total, lavender, sage, orris, linden, alfalfa, angelica, red clover, thistle, gentian, rose
Sugar Content: 16 g/l
Nose: tropical fruit, under ripe pineapple, floral, sweet citrus
Palate: lavender, sage, green apple, tart stone fruit, bitter root, earthy, lemon oil
Finish: salt, bark, musty, subtle drying bitterness
Additional Notes: Straw colored. Flowers and leaves of the botanicals are used in the maceration while the roots are used for the sweet vermouth. Worth noting that the grape wine base is variable, though it always uses Orange Muscat in the blend. Overall, a delicious product that is best enjoyed on its own or in drinks where it is allowed to be the star of the show. The vermouth itself is a bit more delicate and as such isn’t always ideal for mixing as much of the nuances and subtleties are lost. There’s clearly very little sugar added and that means its body is incredibly light – sometimes too light to hold up to heavy spirits.
Vya Whisper Dry
Origin: USA
Producer: Quady Winery
ABV: 17%
Wine Base: Variable mix, Orange Muscat
Known Botanicals: at least 3, linden, elecampane, Balsam evergreen needles
Sugar Content: 9 g/l
Nose: jasmine, cinnamon, ginger, lemon
Palate: white wine, lemon, ginger, sorrel
Finish: wood, lemon
Additional Notes: Crystalline appearance. Specifically designed for mixing with vodka and consequently doesn’t hold up to spirits with a strong flavor profile when mixed. In fact, more often than not the effect will be that of little more than water in your cocktail. I recommend drinking this one neat, as even ice dilution kills it fairly quickly. Worth noting that the grape wine base is variable, though it always uses Orange Muscat in the blend.
Yzaguirre Dry
Origin: Spain
Producer: Bodegas Yzaguirre
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Macabeo
Known Botanicals: at least 80, including wormwood, coriander, cinchona, juniper, dittany, cardamom, cinnamon, orange peel, quassia, sage, yarrow, rhubarb, thyme, lemon peel, chamomile, rose
Sugar: N/A
Nose: sea salt, raisin, pear, fig, orange, cinnamon, cooked rhubarb, mint
Palate: lemon, white peach, chamomile, cinchona, fino sherry, rhubarb
Finish: straw, lemon, oak, mushroom, cinnamon, sea salt, rhubarb
Additional Notes: Straw yellow color. Aged 12 months in sherry casks which imparts a nutty salinity. Glycerin added for texture. Bright, bitter, and busy palate that punches hard and fast before receding into a drying bitter. Drinks almost like an aromatized sherry.
Notably Missing: Brovo Witty Dry, Imbue Classic Dry, Martelletti Dry, Perucchi Extra Dry, Ransom Dry, Regal Rogue Daring Dry. Will accept donations of any missing vermouths.
Vermouth Guides
Check the individual regional Vermouth guides for more detailed information on regional styles and recommended bottles:
Dry Vermouth
Sweet White Vermouth
Sweet Red Vermouth
Quinquina and Americano
Gentian Liqueurs
Please send updates and corrections to brian@corpserevived.com.