Spanish vermouth is often overlooked in the bar and cocktail world, despite its undisputed popularity in Spain.
Spanish vermouths tend to be on the drier side – and salinic to boot – as a result of their typically sherry wine base. Spanish sweet vermouths usually taste more confectionary than herbaceous, contain less sugar than Italian vermouths, and are almost always 15% ABV.
The most widely consumed Spanish vermouths are produced in the Reus region, though Vermouth de Reus is not currently a designation recognized by the EU.
Some of my favorite Spanish sweet red vermouths are the perfectly balanced Atxa Rojo and the confectionery, almost Cocci di Torino like Lacuesta Rojo. Ultimately, every bottle on this list is well worth the purchase, though some lend themselves better for mixing than others.
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!
Atxa Rojo
Origin: Spain
Producer: Destilerias Acha, Distributed by De Maison Selections
ABV: 15%
Wine Grapes: Airen
Known Botanicals: at least 6, including wormwood, gentian, licorice, and cherry
Sugar: N/A
Nose: vanilla, coriander, sea salt, oregano, cherry, orange, clove, bubblegum, cinnamon
Palate: vanilla, cinnamon, wormwood, cherry, orange, licorice, fig, marjoram
Finish: vanilla, wormwood, cinnamon, cherry, clove, orange, nutmeg
Additional Notes: Amber color. Dilution brings out bitter, herbaceous notes.
Barbadillo Ataman Vermut
Origin: Spain
Producer: Bodegas Barbadillo
ABV: 17%
Wine Base: Palomino Fino
Known Botanicals: at least 5, wormwood, cinnamon, bitter orange, elderberry, rosemary
Sugar: 140 g/l
Nose: vanilla, cinnamon, apple cider, cacao, cinchona, roasted peanut, cherry, nutmeg, musty
Palate: wormwood, cinchona, vanilla, orange, lemon, cinnamon, black cherry, cacao, tobacco, acidic
Finish: wormwood, cinchona, vanilla, cacao, coffee, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, black cherry
Additional Notes: Red tinted mahogany color. Medium-light body with an oily salinity. Bitter and acidic. A prominent quinine bite makes for a vermouth which almost straddles the line into quinquina. An amazing vermouth.
Becquer Vermouth de Granacha Gran Reserva
Origin: Spain
Producer: Bodegas Escudero
ABV: 17%
Wine Base: Garnacha
Known Botanicals: at least 40, including wormwood, thyme, and rosemary
Sugar: N/A
Nose: tamarind, pomegranate, clove, bell pepper, clove, chili, grape, brine, Worcestershire, calamansi
Palate: tomato, cinchona, orange, tamarind, cinnamon, balsamic vinegar, lemon, cacao, fig
Finish: tomato, clove, cinnamon, sandalwood, rhubarb, plum, raisin, calamansi
Additional Notes: Deep red-brown color with a medium-light body. The wine is aged for 24 months in American and French barrels, followed by an additional 5 years in a tank. A juicy, umami bomb.
Casa Mariol Vermut Negre
Origin: Spain
Producer: Casa Mariol
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: Macabeu
Known Botanicals: at least 2 – wormwood and green walnuts
Sugar: N/A
Nose: banana, strawberry, cola, sarsaparilla, date, oregano, apple, clove, cinnamon, caramel, black cherry
Palate: cinnamon, vanilla, cherry, nutmeg, wormwood, birch, cola, peach, lemon, cocoa, pear
Finish: vanilla, cinchona, cinnamon, nutmeg, pear, dark chocolate, nectarine, peach
Additional Notes: Mahogany tinted brown. Solera aged. Light bodied. Dilution brings out a lot of stone fruit. Tastes like pie.
El Bandarra Rojo
Origin: Spain
Producer: El Bandarra
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: 50% Macabeo, 50% Xarello
Known Botanicals: at least 50, including wormwood, clove, cinnamon, and bitter orange
Sugar: N/A
Nose: lavender, cherry, lemon, cinchona, raspberry, plum, mint, fig
Palate: wormwood, plum, cherry, lemon, cinchona, rose, cedar, chamomile, blueberry, Chinese rhubarb
Finish: wormwood, plum, cherry, cinchona, mint, lavender, rose, anise, blueberry, cacao
Additional Notes: Deep reddish-brown color. Dry and drying with a medium-light body. Exceptionally floral. Plum and lavender through and through. Works very well in cocktails but seems to have a particular affinity for rum.
Gonzalez Byass Rojo
Origin: Spain
Producer: González Byass, distributed by Gonzalez Byass UK
ABV: 15.5%
Wine Base: Palomino, Pedro Ximenez
Known Botanicals: at least 9, including wormwood, savory, clove, orange peel, nutmeg, cinnamon, angelica, and cinchona
Sugar: 141 g/l
Nose: bubblegum, vanilla, rose, cedar, clove, oregano, orange, strawberry, banana
Palate: cinnamon, clove, black pepper, gentian, banana, strawberry, fig, raisin, licorice, cranberry
Finish: cinnamon, clove, fig, nutmeg, vanilla, cranberry, fennel, orange
Additional Notes: Reddish-brown color. Pleasant body. Confectionary. Reminded me of egg nog on the palate.
La Baronia de Turis 13:30
Origin: Spain
Producer: Baronia de Turis
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: Malvasia
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: cinnamon, sage, sea salt, gentian, orange, dried apricot, straw, clove, black tea, poppy
Palate: vanilla, gentian, honey, lemon, chamomile, black tea, tannic, cinnamon, cinchona
Finish: vanilla, chamomile, orange, gentian, cinnamon, lemon
Additional Notes: Mahogany/orange color. Reminded me a bit of an Arnold Palmer: heavy on black tea and lemon notes.
Lacuesta Rojo
Origin: Spain
Producer: Bodegas Martinez Lacuesta
ABV: 14.9%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: at least 5, including wormwood, vanilla, chamomile, and gentian
Sugar: 128 g/l
Nose: raisin, walnut fig, orange vanilla, almond, sherry, dates
Palate: black cherry, gentian, raisin, cacao, walnut, orange, vanilla, lemon, apple
Finish: raisin, cacao, vanilla, apple, toffee, lemon, strawberry, cherry, gentian
Additional Notes: Deep amber color. Light bodied, confectionary, fruity, pleasantly bitter, and acidic. Fantastic however you choose to enjoy it.
Lustau Rojo
Origin: Spain
Producer: Lustau
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: Palomino (80%), Pedro Ximenez (20%)
Known Botanicals: at least 10, including wormwood, coriander, gentian, angelica, orange peel, sage, cinnamon, and cinchona bark
Sugar: 155 g/l
Nose: sea salt, raisin, currant, coriander, prune, orange, bark, mushroom
Palate: cinchona, gentian, cinnamon, concord grape, plum sweet red grape, citrus peel, plum
Finish: cinchona, gentian, walnut, cream sherry, cinnamon, vanilla
Additional Notes: Mahogany color. Velvety mouthfeel.
Mata Tinto
Origin: Spain
Producer: Mata, imported by Ole & Obrigado
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: 90% Mencía, 10% Godello
Known Botanicals: at least 21 including wormwood, wall germander, blessed thistle, centaury, hyssop, sage, hops, clove, elderflower, saffron, star anise, bitter orange peel, cardamom, coriander seed, vanilla, elecampane, gentian, ceylon cinnamon, croton bark, cinchona, pomegranate bark
Sugar: N/A
Nose: thyme, red wine, raspberry, earthy and mild
Palate: cinchona, blackberry, orange, cinnamon, red wine, tannic
Finish: lemon, blackberry, vanilla, cacao, sour cherry
Additional Notes: Very dark red-tinted brown. Medium body. Sweetened with grape must. Fortified with neutral grape distillate. Botanicals are macerated in base wine for 18 months before filtration and fortification. One of those rare sweet red vermouths actually made from primarily red wine. Perfectly balanced between bitter, herbs, and spice with pleasant acidity and prominent bittereness.
Miro Rojo
Origin: Spain
Producer: Miro
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: 75% Airen, 25% Maccabeo
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: cinnamon, raisin, plum, brown sugar, gentian, lemon, mint, sandalwood, vanilla, black pepper
Palate: cacao, cinnamon, vanilla, gentian, wormwood, mint, clove, orange, black cherry, raisin
Finish: vanilla, black cherry, lemon, white pepper, oregano, mint, cacao, clove
Additional Notes: Cola brown color. Vermouth de Reus designation. Medium-light body and relatively dry – doesn't stick to the palate and isn't particularly bitter. Lots of baking spice. Fruity and surprisingly juicy with some faint smokey wood notes.
Otto's Athen's Vermouth
Origin: Greece
Producer: See Additional Notes
ABV: 17%
Wine Base: Roditis (60%), Savatiano (40%)
Known Botanicals: at least 7, wormwood, rose petals, olive leaves, lemon, oregano, kumquat, angelica
Sugar: 120-130 g/
Nose: cinnamon, lemon, wormwood, rose, cherry, vanilla, clove, sandalwood, mint, prune
Palate: cinnamon, rhubarb, mint, prune, orange, vanilla, wormwood, juniper, cedar, gentian
Finish: rhubarb, vanilla, orange, cinnamon, mint, cinchona, honey, clove, poppy, rose
Additional Notes: Dull red color which reminded me of oxidized strawberry. Medium, oily body. A big cherry/vanilla cola bomb with a floral rose note on the nose and finish. Distilled and bottled in Greece by Optimal Supply Chain under the authority of DS Concepts LTD as a collaboration with award winning Athens bar The Clumsies.
Perucchi Rojo Gran Reserva
Origin: Spain
Producer: Perucchi
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: 126 g/l
Nose: clove, vanilla, cinnamon, banana, walnut, orange, pear, rose, marjoram
Palate: lemon, wormwood, raisin, cinnamon, clove, cinchona, star anise, orange
Finish: cinchona, wormwood, raisin, cinnamon, clove, charcoal
Additional Notes: Mahogany color. Very light body. Drying, bitter finish. Claims to be the oldest vermouth producer in Spain.
Primitivo Quiles Rojo
Origin: Spain
Producer: Primitivo Quiles
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: Mourvedre/Monastrell
Known Botanicals: at least 4 – wormwood, fennel, sage, and clove
Sugar: N/A
Nose: lemon, banana, yeasty, green apple, clove, vanilla, menthol, tobacco, oregano
Palate: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, orange, wormwood, lemon, cinchona, raisin, balsamic, banana, cherry, apple
Finish: cinnamon, ginger, sea salt, vanilla, nutmeg, wormwood, raisin, green apple
Additional Notes: Amber color. Smells like a Belgian beer. Dilution brings out lots of apple. A fairly dry expression.
Priorat Natur Vermut
Origin: Spain
Producer: Priorat Natur
ABV: 16%
Wine Base: Macabeo, Pedro Ximenez, Grenache Blanc
Known Botanicals: at least 6 – wormwood, fennel, rosemary, cumin, vanilla, and cinnamon
Sugar: N/A
Nose: thyme, lemon, sea salt, cumin, orange, fennel, oregano, tobacco
Palate: lemon, juniper, thyme, vanilla, cinchona, orange, plum, cinnamon, apple cider
Finish: wormwood, lemon, cinchona, gentian, juniper, cranberry, melon rind, dates
Additional Notes: Pink tinted orange color. Light body. Bright, bitter, and citrusy.
Txurrut Basque Vermut
Origin: Spain
Producer: Vegame
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: Hondarrabi Zuri
Known Botanicals: at least 20, wormwood, fennel, juniper, vanilla, walnut, rose petal
Sugar: N/A
Nose: sandalwood, cinnamon, vanilla, cinchona, raisin, ginger
Palate: cinchona, rhubarb, cinnamon, vanilla, orange, lemon, cedar, fig, cherry
Finish: cinchona, clove, vanilla, orange, raisin, rhubarb, ash, licorice, sea salt
Additional Notes: Reddish-brown appearance. Bright, racy acidity with quinine bitterness on the palate. Medium body with some salinity and minerality most prominent on the finish. Dilution highlights the cinchona, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Vidte Rojo
Origin: Spain
Producer: Vinos de Terruños
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: Muscatel, Merseguera
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: pear, cinnamon, cedar, bay leaf, orange, vanilla, rose, white pepper, rhubarb, banana
Palate: cinchona, pear, lemon, cinnamon, licorice, tobacco, tarragon, sage, rhubarb
Finish: cinchona, raisin, currant, tobacco, cinnamon, eucalyptus, pear, rhubarb, coffee
Additional Notes: Rich mahogany color. Savory, smokey, and spicy with a pronounced rhubarb bitterness similar to Cappelletti Sfumato Rabarbaro Amaro. Very light body, dries out quickly. Doesn't hold up particularly well in cocktails.
Notably missing: Miro Rojo and Yzaguirre Rojo. 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
Please send updates and corrections to brian@corpserevived.com.