The Best Sweet Vermouth for a Negroni, Manhattan and Boulevardier

Content reviewed: 8 November 2026
By Rob Berry, co-founder of Asterley Bros. Rob has worked behind bars since he was about 16 and runs Asterley Bros with his brother Jim, making English vermouth, amaro and aperitivo in South London.

The best vermouth for a Negroni, in our view, is ESTATE (£26.95, 500ml), our English sweet vermouth. It is made in the Italian rosso style with English Pinot Noir and 34 botanicals, so it has the sweetness to balance a red bitter, the body to carry the gin and notes of orange, rosemary and wormwood that keep the drink bright. We make it, so read this as our pick. If you want a classic Italian Negroni, use a vermouth di Torino such as Cocchi or a rich rosso such as Carpano Antica Formula, and for a more bitter drink try Punt e Mes.

The best vermouth for each kind of Negroni

The Negroni you want	Vermouth to use	What it does to the drink
Our pick: bright, herbal and English	ESTATE	Orange, rosemary and wormwood, with soft tannin from the Pinot Noir and enough body for gin and a red bitter
Classic Italian balance	A vermouth di Torino such as Cocchi Vermouth di Torino	An even bittersweet Negroni in the Turin style
Rich and rounded	A vanilla-led Italian rosso such as Carpano Antica Formula	A fuller, softer drink, with the bitterness pulled back
Bitter and bracing	Punt e Mes	More bite and a longer bitter finish
Light and gin-forward	A French rouge such as Dolin Rouge	A leaner Negroni that lets the gin show
Deep and wine-led	A sherry-based Spanish vermut such as Lustau Vermut Rojo	Dried fruit and a nutty, savoury edge
A White Negroni	SCHOFIELD'S English Dry Vermouth	A pale, floral Negroni with a citrus finish

Why the vermouth changes a Negroni so much

A Negroni is equal parts gin, red bitter and sweet vermouth, stirred over ice and finished with orange. With only three ingredients, the vermouth is a full third of the drink, and swapping the bottle changes the Negroni more than most people expect.

The vermouth has three jobs. Its sweetness balances the bitterness of the red bitter. Its own bitterness, from wormwood and often gentian, gives the drink grip. And its body carries the gin. A light, delicate vermouth that works well in a Martini tends to disappear in a Negroni, which is why a sweet red (rosso) vermouth is the usual choice.

What to look for in a sweet vermouth for a Negroni

• Sweetness: richer Italian styles round off the red bitter and give a softer drink. Brighter styles leave more of the bitterness on show.
• Bitterness: some bottles, Punt e Mes most of all, lean into quinine and wormwood and push the Negroni further into bitter territory.
• Body: a fuller vermouth joins up the gin and the bitter. A lighter one lifts the drink and makes it easier to approach.
• Botanicals: vanilla and baking spice give warmth, while citrus peel and green herbs such as rosemary make the drink more aromatic.
• Base wine: red wine brings tannin and structure, and a sherry base brings nutty, oxidative depth even at moderate sweetness.

Match the vermouth to your gin as well. A juniper-led London Dry gin can take a weightier vermouth, and as a rule, the more assertive the gin, the more body you want from the vermouth. A softer, more floral gin usually sits better with a fresher, more herbal bottle.

Our pick: ESTATE English Sweet Vermouth

ESTATE is the sweet vermouth we make in South London. It follows the Italian rosso style but is built on English Pinot Noir, which gives it its colour and delicate tannins. We macerate its 34 botanicals for 21 days. The signature ones are wild cherry bark, bitter orange, English hops, dandelion root and devil's claw, and the list also includes wormwood, gentian, rosemary and fennel. It is sweetened with demerara sugar, with no caramel.

In a Negroni it gives a bright, complex drink that still has the body to hold its own with gin and a red bitter. We describe it on its own page as "perfect for Negronis, Martinez and Manhattans", with rich aromatics that stand up to heady spirits. It won Silver at the World Vermouth Awards 2021, 1 star at Great Taste 2021 and 2 stars at Great Taste 2026. ESTATE costs £26.95 for 500ml, is 16% ABV and is vegan.

The classic Negroni with ESTATE

• 25ml London Dry gin
• 25ml red bitter (Campari, or NEGRONI JUICE below)
• 25ml ESTATE
• A strip of orange zest

Stir everything over ice in a mixing glass for about 60 seconds, until cold and diluted. Strain into a tumbler over fresh ice, ideally one large cube, and squeeze the orange zest over the top. The ratio stays equal parts whichever vermouth you use, but you can adjust it to taste.

Our house Negroni: the SOUTH LONDON NEGRONI

Our house Negroni puts DISPENSE, our British amaro, in place of the red bitter and adds 5ml of ASTERLEY ORIGINAL. This is the recipe as it appears on the ESTATE product page:

Combine 25ml Hayman’s Old Tom Gin, 25ml ESTATE Vermouth, 25ml DISPENSE Amaro, and 5ml Asterley Original in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir for 60 seconds until chilled and diluted, then strain into an ice-filled tumbler and garnish with a strip of orange zest.

You will need DISPENSE (£31.95) and ASTERLEY ORIGINAL (£20.95) alongside the ESTATE.

Changing the red bitter: NEGRONI JUICE

If you want to change the bitter rather than the vermouth, NEGRONI JUICE is our take on the Italian red bitter, and the one to use in place of Campari. It is built around blood orange and fresh basil, with gentian and rhubarb root for the bitterness, so it makes a brighter, fruitier Negroni that is still properly bittersweet. Use it one for one in the recipe above. It is a limited edition, £25.95 for 500ml at 20% ABV, and we made it with big, bold Negronis and Boulevardiers in mind.

A White Negroni with SCHOFIELD'S

A White Negroni swaps the sweet vermouth and red bitter for a dry or bianco vermouth and a gentian liqueur, so it comes out pale gold and floral. We made SCHOFIELD'S with the Schofield brothers, on a blend of English white wines, with aromatic white flowers on the nose and a clean, bright citrus finish, and a White Negroni is one of the drinks we designed it for. It won Gold at the World Vermouth Awards 2021 and costs £26.95.

• 30ml London Dry gin
• 30ml SCHOFIELD'S
• 20ml gentian liqueur, such as Suze
• A twist of lemon

Stir over ice for about 60 seconds, strain into a tumbler over fresh ice and finish with the lemon twist. For more, read our guide to what a White Negroni is.

Other good sweet vermouths for a Negroni

ESTATE is the bottle we reach for, but plenty of others make an excellent Negroni, and the style you like matters more than the label.

Italian rosso and vermouth di Torino

Vermouth di Torino is a protected Italian designation for vermouth from Piedmont, and bottles such as Cocchi Vermouth di Torino make a structured, evenly bittersweet Negroni in the Turin style. For a richer drink, Carpano Antica Formula is vanilla-led and full-bodied, and it softens the red bitter. Widely available rossos such as Martini Rosso and Cinzano Rosso are sweeter and gentler, and make an easy-drinking Negroni.

Bitter-leaning: Punt e Mes

Punt e Mes is an Italian sweet vermouth with the bitterness turned up. Its name is Piedmontese for "point and a half", one point of sweetness to half a point of bitterness. It makes a firmer, more aperitivo-style Negroni, which suits people who like their drink with edge.

French: Dolin Rouge

Dolin Rouge, from Chambéry in France, is lighter and less sweet than the Italian bottles. It makes a leaner Negroni that lets a good gin show, though it can be overpowered by a very bold, high-strength gin.

Spanish vermut

Sherry-based vermuts such as Lustau Vermut Rojo or González Byass La Copa Rojo bring dried fruit and a savoury nuttiness. They make a deep, wine-led Negroni, and they work best with a gin that has enough character to stay in the conversation.

Floral and perfumed: our ROSÉ VERMOUTH

ROSÉ VERMOUTH is part of our Bartender Series, a range made especially for bartenders, and a ROSÉ Negroni is one of the drinks we made it for. It is made in London from Italian wine and English botanicals, among them raspberry, rhubarb root and rose petals, and it is brightly perfumed and playful. It won 1 star at Great Taste 2026. It is not on sale in our online shop at the moment.

The best sweet vermouth for a Manhattan

ESTATE is our pick here too. The Pinot Noir gives it tannin and structure, so it adds depth to a Manhattan while the whiskey still leads. For a classic build, stir 50ml rye or bourbon, 25ml ESTATE and 2 dashes of aromatic bitters over ice, then strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a cherry.

Match the vermouth to the whiskey. Bold, spicy, high-rye whiskies want a full-bodied vermouth, while softer bourbons sit well with a lighter one such as Dolin Rouge. For a heavier, sweeter Manhattan, a rich Italian rosso such as Carpano Antica Formula does the job, and Punt e Mes gives a drier, more bitter drink with spicy rye. For a brighter Manhattan, keep the 25ml of ESTATE and add 5ml of SCHOFIELD'S.

The best sweet vermouth for a Boulevardier

A Boulevardier is a Negroni with whiskey in place of gin, and the vermouth has to hold its own against both the whiskey and the bitter. ESTATE is our pick: stir 40ml bourbon or rye, 25ml ESTATE and 25ml red bitter over ice, strain over fresh ice and finish with orange zest. NEGRONI JUICE works especially well as the bitter here. If you prefer a richer, sweeter Boulevardier, use a vanilla-led Italian rosso instead.

One bottle for all three, and on its own

If you only want one sweet vermouth in the fridge, ESTATE covers the Negroni, the Manhattan and the Boulevardier. It also drinks well on its own, over ice with a slice of orange, or long as a highball: 50ml ESTATE and 75ml citrus or light tonic over ice, with a slice of orange.

How we chose

We make ESTATE, SCHOFIELD'S and NEGRONI JUICE, so this page is our pick rather than a neutral ranking. We chose by the style of Negroni each vermouth makes, its base (red wine, white wine or sherry), how well it balances a red bitter and carries the gin, and whether it is easy to buy in the UK. We used the prices on our shop on 8 November 2026 for our own bottles and left out prices for other brands, which vary by retailer. We have kept other makers' bottles in because they make good Negronis in styles we do not make.

If you would rather learn by mixing, The Negroni Session is our two-hour, hands-on Negroni masterclass in Sydenham, South London (£59.50 per person).

FAQs

What is the best vermouth for a Negroni?

Our pick is ESTATE, an English sweet vermouth in the Italian rosso style, made with English Pinot Noir and 34 botanicals. It makes a bright, complex Negroni with the body to stand up to gin and a red bitter. For a classic Italian style, use a vermouth di Torino such as Cocchi, and for more bitterness, Punt e Mes.

What kind of vermouth goes in a Negroni?

A sweet red (rosso) vermouth. It brings the sweetness and body that balance the red bitter. A White Negroni is the exception: it uses a dry or bianco vermouth, such as SCHOFIELD'S, with a gentian liqueur.

Can I use dry vermouth in a classic Negroni?

You can, but it makes a much drier, sharper drink that does not taste like a classic Negroni. If you want to use dry vermouth, make a White Negroni instead.

What is the classic Negroni ratio?

Equal parts gin, red bitter and sweet vermouth, for example 25ml of each, stirred over ice and finished with orange zest. You do not need to change the ratio for a different vermouth, though you can adjust it to taste.

Can one sweet vermouth work in a Negroni, a Manhattan and a Boulevardier?

Yes. A sweet vermouth with enough body and bitterness works in all three. Our pick for all three is ESTATE, whose Pinot Noir base gives it the structure to stand up to both gin and whiskey.

How long does sweet vermouth last once opened?

Vermouth is wine-based, so keep it in the fridge once opened, with the cap on tight. ESTATE is at its freshest for four weeks in the fridge after opening. A bottle left open in a warm cupboard is a common reason a home Negroni tastes flat.

Related reading

• How to make a Negroni: the classic recipe, ratios and vermouth substitutions
• 10 of the world's best Negroni recipes
• Campari alternatives for a better Negroni
• English vermouth vs Italian vermouth
• How to store vermouth, and how long it lasts once opened

Cite this page

The Best Sweet Vermouth for a Negroni, Manhattan and Boulevardier. Asterley Bros. https://asterleybros.com/blogs/the-mysterious-world-of-vermouth-amaro/best-sweet-vermouth-negroni-manhattan-boulevardier. Last reviewed 8 November 2026.