Vermouth

Vermouth is not just a drink in Argentina but rather a cultural tradition borne from its immigrant roots. Until the 1930s, vermouth was largely imported, and even today, Argentina tops the list as Cinzano's largest market, beating out even Cinzano's domestic Italian market!

Argentina has been producing its own vermouth since the 1930's and recently the quality and creativity of their products have been making waves. Since the main ingredient of vermouth is wine, it's not really a surprise that wineries are one of the main drivers for pushing the vermouth trend. Vermouth is typically made from white grapes but innovations in Argentina include those made with red varietals such as Malbec, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc.

We couldn't leave Mendoza without a visit to La Central Vermuteria, a popular bar specializing in vermouth and vermouth cocktails. Since I'm not normally a fan of sweet alcohol, I selected a dry Argentine vermouth (Vermu La Fuerza Blanco) while Roch opted for a sweet one (Vermu Lunfa Rosso). In the end, I preferred the sweet one since the dry one was a little too bitter for my taste. That being said, I can't say I'm really a fan. I think I'll stick with undoctored Malbec just the same.Les mer