Rose Vermouth

Asked by jack2k6. Answered on 10th July 2016

Full question

Hi! In Nigella's Italian book Nigellissima she made an Italian Venetian cocktail with pink vermouth. I'm curious - is pink vermouth dry or sweet and what can I replace it with?

Our answer

Nigella's Venetian cocktail (from NIGELLISSIMA) is a mixture of pink (rose or rosato) vermouth, pomegranate juice and ginger ale. The vermouth is a halfway between white and red vermouth and veers very slightly towards the sweet. It is also infused with warm spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. Unfortunately it is difficult to suggest a replacement for this vermouth in a cocktail.

However if you were to buy a bottle then leftover vermouth is wonderful to cook with. Nigella uses the pink vermouth in some other recipes in Nigellissima but as it is so versatile you could add a splash to bolognese or tomato sauces or to a pan sauce for meat or a gravy for roast meats. Vermouth also keeps very well for several weeks after opening and is best stored in the fridge or in a cool place.