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.
Our pick for a Martini is SCHOFIELD'S, an English dry vermouth we make with the Schofield brothers, awarded Gold at the World Vermouth Awards 2021. It has white flowers on the nose and a clean citrus finish, and it was designed for gin or vodka Martinis. What you want in a Martini is a dry vermouth with enough aroma to show through the gin and enough dryness to keep the drink crisp. For a saltier Martini, our limited-edition CUNARD was made for Martinis. For a French classic, start with Noilly Prat Original Dry or Dolin Dry.
We make two of the bottles on this page, so read our pick with that in mind. The others are bottles we drink and rate, and they stay in because a Martini guide that only pointed at our own shelf would not be much use to you.
How we chose
We judged each vermouth on what a Martini asks of it:
- Style. Dry vermouth only for a Dry Martini. Aperitif wines get their own section further down, because they suit a Vesper better than a classic Martini.
- How it behaves in the glass. Whether it keeps its shape in a wet Martini (2:1 or 3:1) and still adds something to a dry one (5:1).
- Base wine and character. What it is made from, and whether it leans floral, herbal or saline.
- Price and availability in the UK. The prices shown are the current prices of our own bottles on our shop. We don't quote prices for other brands, because they vary from shop to shop.
We have not scored anything out of ten. Martini taste is personal, and a number would suggest more precision than a tasting note can carry.
Why the vermouth matters in a Martini
A Dry Martini is gin or vodka and dry vermouth, stirred over ice and strained into a cold glass, with a lemon twist or an olive. With only two ingredients, the vermouth does more work than most people expect. Change it and you change the drink, even when there is only a splash of it.
You want enough dryness to keep the drink crisp and enough aroma to give the gin something to talk to. It also needs the structure to hold up at low ratios. A vermouth with no character of its own disappears, and a heavy, sweet one makes the drink muddy.
The ratio is up to you. Our own recipe below is 2:1, which is a wet Martini, and plenty of people go drier at 4:1 or 5:1. If you are not sure where you sit, our piece on how much vermouth goes in a Martini makes the case for a wetter drink.
Our pick: SCHOFIELD'S English Dry Vermouth
SCHOFIELD'S is our English dry vermouth, made in collaboration with the Schofield brothers, bartenders Joe and Daniel. The botanicals are infused in a blend of English white wines: Bacchus, Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc. You get aromatic white flowers on the nose and a clean, bright citrus finish on the palate. We designed it to be the perfect partner for a gin or vodka Martini, and it won Gold at the World Vermouth Awards 2021 and 2 stars at Great Taste 2020.
In a Martini that gives you a brighter, more floral drink than the French classics. The point of it is that you can taste the vermouth, so it holds its own in a wet Martini rather than fading behind the gin. It is vegan, 16% ABV, and £26.95 for 500ml.
Our Wet Martini recipe
This is the recipe we print for SCHOFIELD'S, word for word:
Combine 50ml gin or vodka, 25ml SCHOFIELD'S Vermouth, 10ml water, and 2 dashes of orange bitters in a container and freeze for 45 minutes. Serve in a frozen Coupe glass with a lemon twist. For best results, prepare 6-7 Martinis at once.
The water stands in for the dilution you would usually get from stirring over ice, which is why the drink can go straight from the freezer to the glass. Our guide to pre-batching Martinis covers making them in bulk for a party.
SCHOFIELD'S also makes a good White Negroni, or a light aperitif: 50ml over ice in a highball glass with 75ml elderflower or cucumber tonic and a slice of lemon.
For a salty, savoury Martini: CUNARD
CUNARD is a limited-edition English dry vermouth. Cunard commissioned it from us to mark the launch of their ship, Queen Anne, and to make their signature Martinis. It is built from aromatics and botanicals from around the British coast, and it is crisp and dry, with layers of salinity and minerality. We describe it in three words: made for Martinis.
If you like a Dirty Martini, that saline edge takes you part of the way there before you add any olive brine. CUNARD also makes a fine Bamboo: stir 45ml CUNARD, 45ml fino sherry and a dash of orange bitters over ice, then strain into a frozen coupe and finish with an orange twist. It is vegan, 16% ABV, and £30.95 for 500ml. As a limited edition, it is not one of our permanent bottles, so buy it while it is on sale.
The French classics
Noilly Prat Original Dry
The traditional French dry vermouth, from the Noilly Prat house in Marseillan on France's Mediterranean coast. It is lean and herbal, and it makes the crisp, French-style Martini many people grew up with. A sensible bottle to keep if you want that classic shape.
Dolin Dry
Dolin's dry vermouth comes from Chambéry in the French Alps. It is lighter and softer than Noilly Prat, and it lets the gin do most of the talking, which suits a delicate gin or a very dry Martini.
For a Vesper: aperitif wines
Cocchi Americano and Lillet Blanc are aperitif wines rather than dry vermouths, but a Martini guide without the Vesper would be missing something. Ian Fleming's Vesper in Casino Royale calls for Kina Lillet, which is no longer made. Cocchi Americano, from Italy, and Lillet Blanc, from France, are the two usual substitutes: the Cocchi is more bitter, the Lillet softer. Both suit a Vesper better than a classic Dry Martini.
At a glance
| The Martini you want | The vermouth | Character | Where it is from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floral and English (our pick) | SCHOFIELD'S, £26.95 | English white wines, white flowers, clean citrus finish | South London |
| Salty and savoury | CUNARD (limited edition), £30.95 | Crisp and dry, saline and mineral | South London |
| Traditional and crisp | Noilly Prat Original Dry | Lean and herbal | Marseillan, France |
| Light and soft | Dolin Dry | Light-bodied, lets the gin lead | Chambéry, France |
| A Vesper, more bitter | Cocchi Americano | Aperitif wine, bittersweet | Italy |
| A Vesper, softer | Lillet Blanc | Aperitif wine, rounder and gentler | France |
Keep it in the fridge
Vermouth is made from wine, so once the bottle is open it starts to oxidise. Keep it in the fridge and drink it within a few weeks. A bottle left open in a warm cupboard for months is a common reason a home Martini tastes flat. Our guide to storing vermouth and amaro has the detail.
For more on the English style, read English vermouth vs Italian vermouth, or our companion piece on the best vermouths for a Negroni. If you want to taste before you buy, our Welcome to Vermouth masterclass in Sydenham, South London, costs £59.50 per person and includes a bottle of English vermouth to take home.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best vermouth for a Martini?
A dry vermouth. Our pick is SCHOFIELD'S, an English dry vermouth with white flowers on the nose and a clean citrus finish, designed for gin or vodka Martinis and awarded Gold at the World Vermouth Awards 2021. For a saltier Martini, try our limited-edition CUNARD. The traditional French choices are Noilly Prat Original Dry and the lighter Dolin Dry.
What kind of vermouth goes in a Martini?
Dry vermouth, sometimes labelled white or extra dry. Sweet red vermouth belongs in a Negroni or a Manhattan. In a Martini it makes a much sweeter, heavier drink that most people would not recognise as a Martini.
How much vermouth goes in a Martini?
That is up to you. Our Wet Martini uses 50ml gin or vodka to 25ml SCHOFIELD'S, which is 2:1. A ratio of 4:1 or 5:1 gives a drier drink, and a rinse of vermouth in the glass gives the driest of all.
Is SCHOFIELD'S good in a vodka Martini?
Yes. It was designed for gin or vodka Martinis. Vodka brings less flavour of its own than gin, so the floral nose and citrus finish of the vermouth come through more clearly.
Which vermouth is best for a Dirty Martini?
Any dry vermouth works with olive brine. CUNARD, our limited edition made for Martinis, has a saline, mineral character of its own, so it takes the drink part of the way to dirty before you add any brine.
Does vermouth need to be kept in the fridge?
Yes, once it is open. Vermouth is wine-based and oxidises, so keep it in the fridge and drink it within a few weeks.
Cite this page
The Best Vermouth for a Martini: Our Pick and the Alternatives. Asterley Bros. https://asterleybros.com/blogs/the-mysterious-world-of-vermouth-amaro/best-vermouths-for-a-dry-martini. Last reviewed 8 November 2026.
