Bitters and vermouth for cocktails in Boston

The Wild Duck, a liquor store at 86 Massachusetts Ave in Boston, carries bitters and vermouth for home cocktails, and you can browse both on our site before you visit. This guide explains what to look for, which style of vermouth each classic recipe needs, how bitters are used, and how to reach us on the day.

Does The Wild Duck carry bitters and vermouth for cocktails?

Yes. The Wild Duck is a liquor store in Boston, and both bitters and vermouth have their own category pages in our catalogue. They sit under liqueur, next to the liqueurs that many cocktail recipes also call for.

Our shelves hold more than 4,500 products from more than 700 brands, so the cocktail ingredients sit alongside a wide range of spirits, wine and beer. If you are building a drink from scratch, you can usually find the base spirit, the vermouth, the bitters and the mixer in one visit.

We are rated above 4.5 out of 5 from more than 60 Google reviews. That is a rating, not a guarantee about any single bottle, so for a specific product it is best to check the page or ask us.

How can I check what bitters and vermouth are in stock?

The quickest way is the vermouth category page and the bitters category page on our website. Each page shows what we have in stock today, and the vermouth page lists our own best sellers first.

If you want to see what we carry before you decide how to get it, the Boston delivery page explains how ordering works for the city. We offer pickup, delivery and shipping as well as walking in, so you can choose the way that suits your plans.

If you are looking for one particular brand of bitters, search for it on the site first. If it does not appear, come in or contact the store and ask us what we can offer in its place.

What kind of vermouth does my cocktail recipe need?

Match the style named in the recipe. Vermouth is a wine that has been fortified and flavoured with herbs and botanicals, and the main styles are sweet, dry and bianco. Using the wrong one changes the drink more than most people expect.

Sweet vermouth, often labelled rosso, is the red, slightly sweet style used in a Manhattan, a Negroni and a Boulevardier. Dry vermouth is pale and crisp, and it belongs in a martini and in a Gibson. Bianco is white and gently sweet, and it works in a vermouth and tonic or in lighter, softer cocktails.

If a recipe only says vermouth, it almost always means dry for gin or vodka martinis and sweet for whiskey drinks. When in doubt, check the spirit the recipe is built on and choose from there.

Which vermouths can I look at on The Wild Duck site?

For sweet vermouth, we carry Carpano Classico, MARTINI ROSSI Rosso and 9 Di Dante Sweet Vermouth. These suit a Manhattan or a Negroni.

For dry vermouth, look at Carpano Dry and 9 Di Dante Dry Vermouth. These are the ones to reach for when you are making a martini.

For a lighter, white style, there is Carpano Bianco. Stock changes from day to day, so confirm the bottle you want on its page before you plan a trip around it.

Which bitters are useful for classic cocktails?

Aromatic bitters are the first to own. A few dashes go into an old fashioned, a Manhattan and a Sazerac-style drink, where they add spice and depth without making the cocktail taste bitter. Orange bitters suit a martini, a Negroni and lighter drinks, where they add a fresh citrus note.

A third group, often called Creole-style bitters, adds anise and floral notes and is classic in a Sazerac. Beyond those, there are many flavoured bitters, such as chocolate or cherry, that are worth adding once you know the basics.

A small bottle lasts a long time because recipes use only a few dashes at a time. You can see what we have in stock on the bitters page, and if you cannot find a style you need, ask us what else would work.

What else do I need for the cocktails these ingredients go into?

Bitters and vermouth are only part of a recipe. For whiskey drinks, look at our bourbon and whiskey pages. For a martini, the vodka page is the place to start.

If your recipe needs a mixer, our mixers page has them, and the Fever Tree brand page is a good place to find tonic and soda. For herbal liqueurs, one item in stock now among our best sellers is CHARTREUSE Yellow Liqueur, which you can find through the liqueur pages.

If you are setting up a whole bar rather than making one drink, our guide to stocking a home bar in Boston covers the basics. Our article on cocktail ingredients: bitters, vermouth and bourbon goes further into how the three work together.

Can I get help choosing cocktail ingredients at The Wild Duck?

Yes. Bring the recipe, or tell us the drink you want to make, and we will help you work out which vermouth and which bitters it calls for. It helps to know the base spirit, because that decides the style of vermouth.

We also serve customers in Cambridge and Brookline, so if you are not in Boston itself, our delivery pages for Cambridge and Brookline explain what is possible in each town.

For common questions about orders, pickup and returns, our frequently asked questions page is the best starting point.

Where is The Wild Duck in Boston, and when can I stop by?

The Wild Duck is at 86 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02117. You are welcome to walk in and look at the shelves, or you can order through our website at wildduckliquors.com.

The store is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM and on Sunday from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM. If you order for pickup, the hours are longer: Monday to Saturday from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Our in-store pickup page explains how that works.

Delivery runs Monday to Saturday from 9:30 AM to 10:30 PM and Sunday from 10:30 AM to 10:30 PM. Our Boston delivery page has the details for the city.