9 Di Dante Sweet Vermouth

9 Di Dante Sweet Vermouth is a sweet (rosso-style) vermouth, a fortified, aromatized wine flavored with botanicals. The details we have don't include its ABV, origin, or botanical recipe, so what follows describes what sweet vermouths of this kind usually do. Expect a deep amber to reddish-brown color, a rounded sweetness, and a gentle bitter edge from herbs and roots such as wormwood and gentian. Typical sweet vermouths also carry notes of vanilla, dried orange peel, baking spice, and dark fruit. The classic job for a sweet vermouth is as a cocktail modifier. It is the second ingredient in a Manhattan, usually stirred with rye or bourbon and a dash of aromatic bitters at roughly two parts whiskey to one part vermouth. It is also one of the three equal parts in a Negroni with gin and Campari, and in a Boulevardier, where bourbon replaces the gin. In an Americano it sits with Campari and soda. Vermouth makes up a large share of each of these drinks, so its sweetness and herbal bitterness shape the result. It is also good on its own as an aperitif. Pour about two ounces over a large ice cube, add an orange slice or a twist, and serve in a rocks glass. For a longer, lighter drink, top it with soda or tonic over ice. Served neat, a small chilled pour works as an after-dinner sipper. Once opened, vermouth should be sealed and kept in the refrigerator, where it stays fresh for a few weeks. Because it is wine-based, it fades faster than spirits do. At the table, it suits salted nuts, olives, aged cheeses, and cured meats, and the bitterness and sweetness balance the salt.