There are very few drinks that have been able to give a name to a cultural and social tradition. The Vemouth is one of them. ‘La hora del Vermut’ (the Vermouth hour) is a deeply rooted habit in Spain with a lot of history.
A drink - A Verb
Vermouth is not only a drink. In Spain, when meeting friends or family before lunch between 12-2pm, it is common to meet for ‘hacer el Vermut’. The drink is even used as a verb ‘vermutear’. This tradition is often being enjoyed in bars that offer Vermouth-packages including some tapas around the hours before lunch, especially on Sundays.
However, any day is good to celebrate ‘La hora del Vermut’ at home.
The tradition serves to spend time with loved ones, enjoy the weather and whet the appetite with a ‘Tapa’ and ‘Vermut’ before lunch. This custom is also practiced in other European countries, but contrary to what happens in Spain, the aperitif is taken in the afternoon-evening, before dinner.
Nowadays, having a tapa and any sort of drink (wine, beer, soft drink) before lunch with friends or family counts under the tradition of ‘hacer el Vermut’.
What is Vermouth exactly?
Vermouth is a wine macerated with different herbs and botanicals that serve to whet the appetite. The unique flavour is created through bitter botanicals, aromatics, bitter-aromatics and sweeteners.
Red vermouth, also called black vermouth, is the most popular in Spain. To achieve this color, the neutral white wine is sweetened with natural sugar.
Other common varieties are white and rosé Vermouth.
Comparing Spanish Vermouths to the ones from its surrounding countries, the red vermouth produced in Spain is less bitter and contains more aromatic herbs.
How to 'Vermouth'
Actually, ‘La Hora del Vermut’ traditionally is a way of “whetting the appetite”. One can have a Vermouth, as the name suggests, a caña, a glass of wine or even a soft drink. This is usually accompanied with some acidic or salty snacks such as some potato chips, olives or tapas such as mussels, cockles or a pintxo.
In Spain, vermouth is traditionally mixed with siphon, which is nothing more than carbonated water. Although in recent times, most bars and restaurants serve it with ice, a slice of orange and olives.
Celebrate 'la hora del Vermut' at home
Ingredients:
- Obviously we need Vermut. The options here are unlimited. If you are in Spain you can find Vermut in any supermarket. You can also look if there is a special Vermut for your region. If you are living in another country but you want to enjoy the Spanish custom at home, look for a Vermouth from your country or imported goods.
- Thin Orange slices
- Ice cubes
- Green Olives
- Potatoe Chips
- Optional: Mussels, anchovies or shrimps
- Optional: Siphon (high carbonated sparkling water)
- Toothpicks
Preparation (red Vermouth):
Fill your glass with ice cubes. Carefully squeeze the orange slice into the glass (just a bit) and then throw the slice in the glass. Put two olives on a toothpick and use the toothpick with olives to swirl around the ice and orange slice in the glass two or three times. Throw in the toothpick with olives and pour over the Vermut (c.a 2 inches/5cm). Optionally, add a dash of very sparkling water. Enjoy!
History of Vermouth in Spain
Most of the sources agree on the origin of Vermouth being attributed to Antonio B. Carpano in 1786 in Turin (Italy).
On the other hand, there are many historical references of the drink in ancient Greece and Hippocrates creating a protovermouth for medicinal purposes. He is said to have been the first to mix wine with wormwood and dictamus as a medicinal remedy to relieve stomach pain. The drink known by the name Hippocratic wine.
As far as our country is concerned, the first commercial traces of Vermouth in Spain can be found in Catalonia, specifically in Reus (Province of Tarragona).
There are several theories about the origin of 'La hora del Vermut'
Why has the hour of the aperitif in Spain changed from pre-dinner to pre-lunch?
One theory places the origin of the tradition of the Vermut in the years of the Civil War. Before the Civil War Vermouth was consumed as an aperitif before dinner, just as the customs of the European neighbours. From the 1940s onwards Vermouth was taken at midday. People often had to work two jobs or work more to provide for their families. Work shifts became longer in post-war Spain and this meant that lunchtime was delayed. As a result, the custom of having a drink before lunch began to spread.
The other theory, more accepted by most Spanish traditionalists, places “La hora del Vermut” at mid-morning, since it was the time when families left mass on Sundays. Back in the 50’s, when the first “middle class” appeared in Spain. These “middle class” families could afford the luxury of enjoying an aperitif in the sun after mass, before going home for lunch.
"One old-fashioned-Vermouth, please"
During the 80s and the 90s the tradition of the actual drink ‘Vermouth’ was gradually lost. Even the expression of ‘La hora del Vermut’ at one point was changed to ‘la hora de la caña’ (caña = small beer). In those years, Vermouth was known as the drink of grandparents.
The resurgence of the Vermouth in Spain
After the economic crisis the tradition was recovering and even gained popularity. Especially the generation of the Millenials shaped the prominence of homemade Vermouth. So that today, most consumers prefer homemade Vermouths with more botanical nuances to the commercial ones.
This revitalisation of the tradition has led to wineries producing their own homemade Vermouths resulting in a much higher variety of flavours.