Drinks Cocktails 12 Sweet Vermouth Cocktails for the Negroni Fan Sure, you've had a Negroni, but have you made a Vieux Carré lately? By Oset Babür-Winter Oset Babür-Winter Title: Senior Drinks Editor, Food & WineLocation: New York CityExperience: Oset Babür-Winter has completed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust's (WSET) Level 3 Award in wines and was previously the magazine's associate culture editor, where she edited Obsessions. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 16, 2023 Close Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon It's hard to overestimate how much opportunity lives within just one bottle of vermouth. You can make a two-ingredient spritz with club soda to signal the end of a long workday, whip up a delicious pan sauce for scallops, or make a perfect weeknight mushroom risotto. This aromatized, fortified wine can be dry (white) or sweet (red), a distinction that you'll need to pay close attention to when you're in the kitchen, or behind the bar. For bottles in the latter category, we prefer to stir up riffs on the classic Negroni, like this delightfully tart Sour Cherry Negroni from Hawksmoor's New York City outpost, or the viral Negroni Sbagliato, as popularized by Emma D'Arcy from HBO's House of Dragons. Read on for 13 of our favorite cocktails that call for sweet vermouth. 01 of 12 Guava Ponche with Sweet Vermouth DYLAN + JENI Ponche Navideño is a Christmastime spiced tropical fruit punch that's served warm with a shot of tequila in Mexico. Food & Wine Cooks contributor Paola Briseño González's chilled riff on this holiday classic pays homage to her love of vermouth. Light and fragrant with perfectly balanced bitterness, it's refreshing and bright thanks to hibiscus, guava, apples, and mint. Get the Recipe 02 of 12 Negroni Sbagliato Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon HBO's House of the Dragon star Emma D'Arcy brought the Negroni Sbagliato in the spotlight, and we can't stop drinking them. Get the Recipe 03 of 12 Manhattan Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver According to popular legend, this cocktail was created at the Manhattan Club in 1874, at a party given by Winston Churchill's American mother to celebrate Samuel J. Tilden's election as governor of New York. Get the Recipe 04 of 12 Northern Standard Carey Jones This drink is even better a Manhattan, thanks to three different bitter elements. Created by mixologist James Ives, the Northern Standard is a full-flavored cocktail that uses Knob Creek rye aged in charred barrels to balance out the richness of Carpano. It's as equally strong as it is smooth. Get the Recipe 05 of 12 Mezcal Negroni Victor Protasio This riff on the classic gin and Campari cocktail has an earthy richness courtesy of smoky mezcal. Carpano Antica Formula vermouth is full-bodied and flavored with herbs and spices, lending dry, barely sweet flavor to this Negroni. Cocchi Americano and a generous citrus garnish bring a light, citrusy bite. Get the Recipe 06 of 12 Americano Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter Three ingredients make for bittersweet magic in this classic, low alcohol cocktail. Get the recipe 07 of 12 Sour Cherry Negroni Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon This tart twist on a classic Negroni is true to the spirit of Hawksmoor's buzzy NYC outpost. Get the Recipe 08 of 12 Negroni Guillermo Riveros / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter Despite the Negroni's endless capacity for shape-shifting, this recipe is for the most classic version of the cocktail — think of it an ode to its comforting simplicity. Made with vibrant red Campari, sweet vermouth, and gin, the drink is balanced with a combination earthy, bitter, and botanical flavors. Get the Recipe 09 of 12 Mr. J Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Port-finished Scotch blends with coffee and chocolate in this fireside-ready cocktail. Get the recipe 10 of 12 Rum and Orange Cocktail Eva Kolenko Amaro Montenegro, an Italian digestif, brings strong flavors of orange to this pleasantly bitter cocktail. The drink starts out warm, with light, molasses-y sweetness coming through the first sip, but packs a pleasantly bitter bite. It's a touch smoky and delightfully strong. Finish it with a dash of grapefruit bitters, and garnish with a grapefruit peel twist. 11 of 12 Vieux Carré Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon Channel the decadence and debauchery of Prohibition-era New Orleans with a classic Vieux Carré recipe from Neal Bodenheimer. Get the recipe 12 of 12 Boulevardier Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter Grab a bottle of Campari and meet the whiskey-lover's Negroni. Get the recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit