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Writer's pictureBrian Tasch

Dry Vermouth: The Complete Guide

Updated: Jun 26, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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