10 Cocktails to Make with Sweet Vermouth

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Updated March 26, 2019

The Jacobean — This Scotch cocktail from John McCarthy is sweetened with Carpano Antica, and gets an herbal addition from Green Chartreuse. He warns that you really need to let the ice melt before you strain: "I want about half an ounce of ice melt to really open up these heavy hitters, Scotch and Chartreuse. Let it cook in the glass for awhile."
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[Photo: Alice Gao]
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Any time my friends discover a new brand of Italian vermouth to love, they always say to me: "You can drink it straight! It's all the cocktail you need!" Which is true, especially in the case of rich and luscious Carpano Antica and slightly mentholated Punt e Mes. (I've been known to drink a highball of Dolin Rouge and soda, as well. Add an orange twist!)

But after you've been drinking it straight awhile, you want to change it up a bit. Start with a Negroni, sure. Easy, delicious, classic. Or perhaps a Manhattan—all you need is rye and some Angostura, plus your bottle of vermouth. But if you get bored with those basics, it's time to explore what else you can make with sweet vermouth...because you do want to get through the bottle before it goes bad. (I don't have to remind you to keep it in the fridge, do I?)

In the slideshow, you'll find 10 cocktail recipes to get you started: some shockingly simple, and some that'll encourage you to dig into your liquor cabinet a bit.

What do you like to make with sweet vermouth? Let us know your favorites in the comments below.