Earlier this year while in Madrid, I fell prey to what the Spanish call la hora del vermut, the vermouth hour, a break in the day for a glass, generally before eating.
Once you have ordered, servers arrive with a bottle of Spanish vermouth, which they will pour sometimes into tall Collins glasses, other times squat tumblers, but always filled with ice and garnished with an orange slice.
The vermouth usually comes with a nosh, like a small bowl of green olives and a plate of picos, stubby little breadsticks.
The vermouth hour is both a joyous custom to adopt and a bit of a revelation.
I’ve always liked vermouth as an occasional aperitif, but to make a daily habit of it is to taste a stunning variety of possibilities.
Persons:
I’ve
Locations:
Madrid, Spain, Salud