Friday Five: Vermouth

 

Before we went to Barcelona, we read our Lonely Planet guide thoroughly, and were particularly taken with this nugget;

"Having become a favourite of Barcelona's working class in the run-up to the civil war, vermouth then fell out of favour (though certainly didn't disappear), but has experienced a dazzling revival over the last decade. New vermouth bars are opening all over town; historical vermouth joints are more popular than ever; and creative artisan varieties are on the up. Join the barcelonins for la hora del vermut (the hour of vermouth), typically around noon."

So it seemed appropriate to have our very first vermouth in Barcelona at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, after having seen a spectacular amount of local art. Based on red or white wine, vermouth is infused with botanicals and fortified with brandy. It is thought to have arrived in Catalonia in the mid-19th century.

Bar Calders is described as "unbeatable as an all-day cafe, tapas, wine and vermouth bar; the outdoor tables are the go-to meeting point for Saint Antoni's boho set." We are also reliably informed that "vermouth is always accompanied by snacks such as tapas of croquettes, anchovies, patates braves or even crisps". Or, as it happens, this cheesy number. 

At Port Vell we sat on the verandah at Sagardi on Pier 1, watching the super yachts and for a few seconds seating in prime real estate imagining we could hitch a ride on one of them. This was a very swanky restaurant and I don't think we were welcome to sit inside as we were wearing shorts and t-shirts but I reckon Him Outdoors looked the part in his holiday hat. The guide book informs us that "perfect vermouth is usually served over ice and with an olive or two, and sometimes, a slice of orange". (Or, in this case, lemon.)

My favourite piece of vermouth lore is that "the hour of vermouth is as much about the intimate social scene as the drink itself". Nowhere was more intimate than this gorgeous wee bar, La Vermuteria del Tano, where the barkeep chatted to her friend, who translated for us, there were trays of olives and the vermouth was kept in a safe.