Martini Rossi Dry

Martini & Rossi Dry is a white, dry vermouth. That means an aromatized, fortified wine flavored with botanicals, and it sits at the crisp, low-sugar end of the vermouth range. The details we have don't list an ABV or a botanical recipe, so expect the usual dry vermouth profile: pale straw color, a light herbal and floral nose, citrus peel, a faint bitter-almond or chamomile edge, and a clean, tart finish with very little sweetness. It tastes closer to a dry white wine with herbs than to a liqueur, and that is why it works as a cocktail ingredient. Its main job is the Dry Martini. A common starting ratio is five parts gin to one part dry vermouth, stirred over plenty of ice. Drier versions use less vermouth, and a wetter 2:1 or 3:1 build shows off more of its herbal side. It also goes into a Gibson with a cocktail onion, a Vesper, and a Bronx, where it sits alongside orange juice and gin. In the kitchen, it's a standard substitute for white wine in pan sauces, risotto, and steamed shellfish, and it holds its flavor better than most open white wines. For sipping, serve it cold. Pour 2 ounces over a large ice cube in a rocks glass and add a twist of lemon or a green olive. Or lengthen it with soda or tonic in a tall glass (roughly one part vermouth to two or three parts mixer) and finish with a lemon wedge. This is a common aperitif approach, and it suits an afternoon before dinner. Good food matches include salted almonds, green olives, oysters, smoked fish, and fresh or lightly aged cheeses. Keep the bottle in the refrigerator once opened, with the cap tightly closed. Vermouth is wine-based and loses its aromatics through oxidation, so it's best used within a month or two. A smaller bottle you finish quickly will give you better Martinis than a large one that sits on the shelf.