VERMOUTH

Carpano Antica in a manhattan is indeed amazing. It's my favourite vermouth, too. Probably second favourite is Punt E Mes, which has some bitterness to it but is otherwise quite similar to the Antica. I happily drink either of them neat.

Haven't had the Vya or the Dolin, although keep meaning to try both.

"news flash, people who like martinis without vermouth don't like martinis - they just like cold gin/vodka."

No shit, sherlock.

When I was just beginning to find out about alcohol, I never understand that a martini wasn't just a vermouth - as Tracer says, ask for a martini here, you get Martini brand vermouth.

i think ppl who dont like vermouth might be judging it from that musty old bottle that's been sitting on their shelf for a couple of years. vermouth can go off relatively quickly if it's not kept in the fridge

I keep a bottle on the kitchen counter. It's great to pour in the bottom of the roasting pan, with meats or veggies. My mother drinks sort of a reverse-martini for a nightcap—vermouth on ice w/ a splash of gin.

I just bought my first bottle of Dubonnet... technically not a vermouth, as it contains no wormwood; I think quinine is the bitter stuff.

Now I can make a:

Zaza cocktail

3/4 fluid ounce Dubonnet
1 1/2 fluid ounces gin

Garnish

twist of orange peel

Instructions

Stir gin and Dubonnet with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Add the twist of orange peel and serve.

dubonnet is a sweet red vermouth and is nice to savor on its own, I haven't considered pairing it with gin

although it sounds like it could be good

So the Dubonnet cocktail was a hit... one part gin, two parts Dubonnet, slice of lemon, two large icecubes. It's what the Queen drinks, and the Queen Mother before her.