Smooth as silk

If you’re just starting out on your vermouth journey, try these three bottles: Antica Formula ($80), Punte Mes ($45) and Carpano Bianco ($45). Antica Formula, developed in 1786, is considered the original modern vermouth and gave the genre its name—vermouth, or wermut, after wormwood which was the main flavouring. Kamil Foltan, head bartender of Tippling Club, extols the versatility of different kinds of vermouths, with red vermouths for sipping on ice or in cocktails such as Manhattan and Negroni. Meanwhile, the subtly sweet and bitter Carpano Bianco is made with a white wine base, using Trebiano, Chardonnay and Cortese, and flavoured with ginger, cloves, hyssop and their own blend of hard root including wormwood, mugwort and sagebrush. Try it with soda or some Prosecco for your next elegant party. Drinks & Co, 44 Club Street. www.drinksandco.asia

Excerpt from the November 2014 issue of epicure.