Step off the streets of Kings Cross and into Barcelona at this vivacious, pocket-sized vermouth bar, where welcoming and accomplished staff deliver a slice of European drinking culture.
If you’ve ever thought Australia could do well to hijack some of Europe’s drinking culture – the convivial apéritif, the odd tin of cured fish before you pop off somewhere else for your main meal at an unspeakable hour – then Vermuteria has entered the chat. Even the music is designed to make you feel like you’re in a little corner of Barcelona: a ton of Spanish, a bit of French, heavy on the brass and guitar, all of it tuned to party.
The wooden tables and chairs are squished together in a way that feels conversational rather than crowded, the little café-style tables and chairs on the footpath wouldn’t feel out of place in a cobbled alleyway, even if they’re metres away from the off-ramp to New South Head Road in reality – pop your fingers in your ears for a moment and you’d never know. And to really ram home the Euro atmos there’s also a Polish-style deli up the back that serves a dual purpose: giving you tasty souvenirs like spirits, anchovies, pickles and hot sauces to take home, while also acting as a splash of bold-coloured decor.
Vermouth of course, or vermut if we’re saying it the Spanish way, in the spirit of the bar’s nomenclature. That’s the focus here and the best way to drink it is over ice from one of the three house blends, served from the barrel or on tap and spiked with a fat green olive. Barrel one is a sweet blend vermouth: a mix of Casa Mariol Negre, Cinzano Rosso and Cocchi Vermouth di Torino. Barrel two is a pinot noir vermouth, a collaboration between Melbourne’s Noisy Ritual winery and The Gospel rye whiskey, which is partially aged in Vermuteria’s own oak barrel that sits behind the bar. It’s here for a long time, not a good time, though, so chances are there’ll be something else on the menu every time you’re in. The on-tap option is the semi-dry vermouth blend: Noilly Prat, Carpano Bianco Italian vermouth and a dash of Bradley’s Kina Tonic syrup to lift the bitterness.
If you’re staying for a few, progressing from light and fresh to something more bitter and amaro-driven is a solid way to plot out your drinking roadmap. You might start with the semi-dry blend, move on to the Vermuttino cocktail – a highball of Carpano Bianco vermouth, soda, and grapefruit bitters over ice – and maybe throw a White Sangria in there for a frisson of extra fruitiness, with vermouth, fino sherry, bitters, soda and fruit. That could be your cue to head somewhere for dinner before swinging back to round out the night on a bitter note with a still amaro like Fernet Branca.
