VERMÚ REVIEW : GUERRA

Vermouth is back. Everyone knows it, everyone’s drinking it, at least in Spain.

And this is one trend I am so willing to jump behind…because here, it’s not a hipster snob thing.  It’s a goodness this drink that has been a part of our culture for decades tastes delicious, let’s make more of them thing.  And that is good for everyone.  Because then things like Guerra Vermouth happen.

Bodegas Guerra is located in the Bierzo wine region (one of my favorites!).  The family opened the bodega in 1879, but didn’t develop their vermouth formula until the early 1900s. It fell out of production in the 1970s, but Guerra came back to market with their vermouth less than a year ago.

Guerra sticks out to me for a couple notable things:

• body. This is a vermouth with some heft.  Not the syrupyness of Martini Rosso, but with more body than a lighter artisanal vermouth. The end sensation is silky and smooth.
• taste. Spices predominate the second this vermouth hits your mouth. Cinnamon and licorice are the ones that stick out most to me.  But the most important thing is this vermouth is dangerously drinkable.

This vermouth, made from godello and mencía wine, is aged between eight and 18 months in barrel. You can tell—it’s complex and, quite frankly, delicious.