For Easier Low-Alcohol Cocktails, Reach For Sweet Vermouth

While the popularity of the many classic, small-yet-potent cocktails shows no sign of abating, recent years have seen growing interest in low-alcohol options — and not merely from those hoping to avoid a hangover. Made right, low-alcohol cocktails can allow the interplay between more subtle flavors to be appreciated better than if they were battling for attention with more assertive, over-proof liquor. That's why, Molly Horn, chief mixologist and spirits educator at Total Wine & More, told Tasting Table that those in search of an easy, low-alcohol cocktail should consider reaching for a bottle of sweet vermouth.

A fortified, aromatized wine that's traditionally infused with herbs from the wormwood family, sweet vermouth has more sugar than the dry variety, and is typically more deeply colored due to the addition of caramel. According to Horn, "[Sweet vermouths] usually come in around 14.5% to 22% ABV; although they tend to hover around 17%, which makes them a great base for a low-alc cocktail."

Explaining why it can be so fantastic for crafting these types of drinks, Horn shares, "Quality sweet vermouth is a surprisingly nuanced, complex ingredient that packs a lot of character at a much lower ABV than a traditional base spirit." She adds, "Often times when searching for something more sessionable we end up with products that are more watered down — not that there's anything wrong with that, but if you are looking to have a lot of flavor while still keeping the proof point down, [sweet vermouth] is a great way to go!"

As for Horn's favorite low-ABV cocktail featuring sweet vermouth, she says, "It might not be super exciting, but a classic Americano is the way to go for me, especially as we enter these hotter summer months." A delicate, bittersweet apéritif of Campari, sweet vermouth, chilled soda water, and orange bitters (which can be made at home with this recipe), Horn told us, "The bitter, citrusy notes from the Campari play really well with the oxidized, raisin-y notes on a good sweet vermouth, and the club soda adds a great refreshing effervescence that also lengthens all the flavors and adds great balance." When making an Americano, Horn would opt for a Di Torino vermouth like Carpano Antica or Grassotti. Other famous cocktails that traditionally employ sweet vermouth include a classic Manhattan, Negroni, bourbon-forward Boulevardier, or simply a vermouth and soda.

Horn names oak, kitchen spice, and caramel notes as examples of the flavors that complement sweet vermouth well. For low-ABV cocktails, however, the fortified and aromatized wine can be extremely versatile. "Sweet vermouth has a delicate, subtle oxidized flavor that pairs particularly well with the nuttiness of a dry sherry, which is also of lower proof," says Horn. She adds, "It also works well with bittersweet flavors ... or a combination of bitter and tart-sweet, such as a lemon-lime lime soda combined with the bitterness of a tonic." Stone fruit flavors also interact pleasingly with sweet vermouth, providing a freshness that does not come at the expense of the drink's gentle character. Whatever you choose, don't be surprised if sweet vermouth soon becomes one of your liquor cabinet's most-used bottles.