Vermouth has been a staple bar ingredient since the cocktail era dawned in the late 19th century. It’s a wine that’s been macerated with a garden’s worth of botanicals, barks, and herbs (like marjoram, mace, orange peel, and wormwood, or wermut in German, from which vermouth takes its name). This aromatic wine is then fortified (which means extra alcohol is added to it) with neutral grape spirits. The resulting drink is balanced and complex, with flavors that can range from sweet to herbal to bitter.

There are two basic vermouth styles: dry and white, or French; and sweet and red, or Italian. The geographic reference indicates the style of the vermouth. And while both styles are made from white wines, sweet vermouth gets its dark red hue from the addition of caramel.

As a general rule (and every rule has its exceptions), sweet vermouths, which are more full-bodied, sweeter, and more bitter, hold their own against brawny, aged spirits like whiskey and brandy. Softer dry vermouths are more delicate and enhance the botanicals of white spirits like gin and white tequilas or rums.

Recipes

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  Recipe

  Mustard-Rosemary Glazed Arctic Char with Melted Fennel and Leeks

  A robust mustard glaze is the perfect counterpoint to rich fish. Buttery sautéed fennel and leeks make a tasty bed for the fillets.

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  Recipe

  Grilled Flap Steak and Asparagus with Béarnaise Butter

  A compound butter packed with tarragon and shallot mimics the flavors of béarnaise sauce with much less effort. If you have any left over, try it on salmon or rice.

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  Recipe

  Clams with Herb Cream and Pork Belly Cracklin'

  Puffy, crunchy little cubes of skin-on pork belly are the star of this dish, but briny clams, potatoes, and light herbed whipped cream make it a meal to remember.

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  Recipe

  Slow-Cooked Pork and Sausage Meatballs with Porcini Sauce

  Meatballs from the slow cooker are truly special—the sauce permeates the meat for tender, super-savory results that are delicious even without spaghetti. Because of the way the slow cooker works,…

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  Recipe

  Radicchio and Pumpkin Risotto

  Radicchio gives the rice a lovely winey hue in this dish, and its bitterness balances the pumpkin’s sweetness. The word pumpkin here is used in the British sense--in other words,…

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  Recipe

  Martini

  The martini is the great-grandfather of all stirred cocktails. I’ve found a 5:1 gin-to-vermouth ratio to be most pleasing to the greatest number of martini drinkers.

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  Recipe

  Striped Bass en Papillote

  Roasting fish in packets (en papillote) allows it to steam in its own juices, intensifying its flavor. Substitute black bass or halibut if striped bass is unavailable.

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  Moveable Feast

  Lamb with Artichokes, Fava Beans, and Yogurt

  Yogurt sauce is a classic Greek accompaniment to lamb. Chef Smith amps up the flavor, beginning with a garlicky marinade for the lamb and a yogurt sauce spiked with peppers…

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  Moveable Feast

  Pan-Roasted Salmon with Pea Crema, Asparagus Crudo, and Roasted Morels

  Wild salmon from Alaska’s Copper River (available at most fish markets) not only tastes robust and has a firm texture, it’s also sustainably fished. Pairing the salmon with morels, this…

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  Recipe

  Classic Negroni

  This ruby-red classic Italian cocktail is pleasantly bitter with a hint of sweetness from the vermouth. Rubbing an orange twist around the rim gives the drink a lovely aromatic note.…