Vermouth and more vermouth

So, today i purchased two bottles of vermouth and a bottle of Peychaud's bitters. Peychaud's is something i've been meaning to get for a while, but i haven't tried it out yet, so on to that later. The vermouths are interesting because they are vermouths that you don't usually see on shelves (which is why i decided to get them there - since i wouldn't see them for a while probably - this IS columbus OH after all). The first vermouth is simply the Bianco vermouth from M&R which is pretty delightful - definitely one of the easier vermouths to drink straight up. The other vermouth is the Vya dry vermouth - one that i'd heard about but hadn't tried until tonight.

Why am i interested in vermouths, you say? Well, part of the reason is that i wanted to have a substantial martini offering (and here i include vodka martinis - though none of those candy confections. In other words vodka or gin + vermouth + optional bitters + garnish). I have a bottle of Noilly Prat which i liked quite a bit, and bottles of M&R sweet and dry. Of course, i'm planning eventually to get a bottle of Dubonnet red and white, and the red and white Lillets to add to the collection as well. Anyway - having a variety of vermouths seemed like an obvious way to fill out the martini selections that i had. (of course the other way was to increase the number of garnishes i had - olives and whatnot, which i've done already).

If you haven't tried Vya, i suggest you give it a try. Although i haven't tried it in a martini martini yet (a gin one, that is), i have tried it in a vodka martini, and it tastes pretty good. I would NEVER suggest drinking it straight or on the rocks unless you like sipping things very very slowly. It has a lot of notes that can just be overwhelming if you drink it too quickly. Surprisingly though, a vodka martini with 1 part Vya to 2 parts Vodka works out quite well - especially with a nice olive in the mix. Surprising, because i thought the Vya would just cut through all of that flavorless vodka to make an overwhelming vodka martini - but it didn't.

Apparently Vya also comes in a sweet variety, but i haven't yet tried it - would be interested, but i don't know if i'll ever come across a bottle of that. (Production apparently is pretty limited).

M&R Bianco is interesting. Easy to drink straight up or on the rocks. Strangely, if you make a vodka martini with it, the vermouth is REALLY evident - a lot more than the Vya. I would suggest cutting down on the amount of Bianco if you can - and then pairing it with a sweeter garnish - like a twist. Bianco is sweeter and fruitier with some vanilla mixed in. In fact, i think bianco would probably be a great addition to a martini that's been shaken with cucumber. As long as you're not too generous with the bianco, it gives a vodka martini the right hint of flavor that keeps the drinker interested without being obvious.

Anyway, for anyone who is interested in moving away from the standard M&R sweet and dry, and Noilly Prat - i think that both of these vermouths are good ways to go.

P.S. For anyone who didn't know before (i certainly didn't). Martini and Rossi apparently has a total of 6 varieties of Vermouth. Rosso, Extra Dry, Bianco, D'Oro, Fiero and Rosato. God knows i'll never be able to find these in Ohio. Certainly worth a try if you want to experiment with different kinds of vodka and gin martinis.