Vermouth is the spirits category that most people own and least people think about. It sits in the back bar, often well below eye level, and gets reached for when a cocktail calls for it. In most UK bars, that vermouth is Dolin: the French import that became the default choice for Martinis and Negronis through a combination of quality, availability, and decades of bartender convention.
There is nothing wrong with Dolin. It is a well-made product with a genuine heritage, produced in Chambéry in the French Alps. But it is not the only option, and for certain cocktail applications it is not the best option. Asterley Bros, a small-batch vermouth producer in South London, has been making the case for English vermouth since 2017. Their two flagship vermouths, ESTATE Sweet Vermouth and SCHOFIELD'S Dry Vermouth, take a different approach to botanicals, base wine, and flavour engineering that changes what a Martini or a Negroni tastes like.
This article compares Asterley Bros vermouths against the Dolin baseline across the three dimensions the brief identifies as Dolin's strength: brand recognition in the Martini, brand recognition in the Negroni, and versatility across cocktail types.
What Dolin Does Well, and Where It Comes From
Dolin produces vermouth in the Chambéry appellation of the French Alps, one of only two regulated vermouth appellations in France. The brand has been making vermouth since 1821, and its products carry the designation "Vermouth de Chambéry," which specifies production methods and geographic origin.
Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambéry uses a base of Ugni Blanc wine flavoured with 15 botanicals, including wormwood, genepi, verbena, cinchona bark, rose, and orange peel (source: Diffords Guide). Dolin Blanc, the sweeter white expression, contains 32 plants and spices (source: Dolin product page). These are genuine botanical catalogues, and the resulting flavour profile is light, floral, and aromatic.
French vermouths in general tend to be drier, paler, and more subtle than their Italian counterparts. The style prioritises delicate herbal character over the rich, bitter complexity that characterises Italian sweet vermouths. This subtlety is an asset in some cocktails and a limitation in others.
Dolin's brand recognition in the UK trade is strong. A bartender reaching for vermouth in most London bars will reach for Dolin Dry or Dolin Rouge without thinking about it. That familiarity is itself a product: it reduces friction, it gives guests a reference point, and it is reinforced every time a bartender teaches a new member of staff to make a Martini. Brand recognition compounds.
How Asterley Bros Takes a Different Botanical Approach
Asterley Bros entered the market with a different proposition. Rather than working within the French or Italian vermouth traditions, they built their range around British terroir and British hedgerow botanicals.
SCHOFIELD'S English Dry Vermouth is flavoured with rose, camomile, jasmine, gentian, cardamom, lime leaf, rosemary, and elderflower. ESTATE English Sweet Vermouth uses fennel, wormwood, English hops, thyme, orange, grapefruit, lime, and sultana. The inclusion of English hops is a deliberate house signature: it anchors the product in a distinctly British botanical tradition and adds a resinous, aromatic quality that does not appear in French vermouths.
The English vermouth category has grown significantly. More than 15 English vermouth brands now exist, reflecting interest in locally made botanical-fortified wines made from English-grown grapes (source: Bolney Wine Estate). This is not a direct competitor to the established French and Italian producers but rather a parallel tradition that offers different flavours to work with.
The Asterley Bros approach also treats the base wine as a deliberate ingredient rather than a neutral carrier. Their blog notes that in ESTATE Sweet Vermouth, a neutral base wine is chosen specifically so that the blend of herbs and spices can complement rather than compete with it. In SCHOFIELD'S Dry Vermouth, acid levels are carefully managed to enhance botanical integration and protect against oxidation, maintaining the crisp character over time.
The Martini Test: Dry Vermouth Compared
The Martini is the most demanding test for a dry vermouth. The spirit-forward cocktail offers almost nowhere to hide: the gin and the vermouth are both present in significant proportion, and the vermouth's character shapes the drink's entire aromatic profile.
Dolin Dry works well in a Martini because its subtlety lets the gin lead. The 15 botanicals are present but not intrusive; the result is a drink that feels clean and aromatic rather than herbal or bitter. It is a safe choice and a correct one.
SCHOFIELD'S Dry Vermouth takes a different approach. The rose, camomile, and jasmine create a floral lift that sits differently in the glass than the genepi and verbena of Dolin. The cardamom adds a slight warmth. The elderflower brings sweetness without the sugar. In a Martini made with a London dry gin, SCHOFIELD'S adds aromatic complexity that Dolin does not attempt. The trade-off is that it is a more opinionated vermouth: it announces itself more clearly, which means it works best when the gin is chosen to complement rather than compete with those botanical notes.
For a bartender who wants the Martini to taste primarily of gin, Dolin is the safer choice. For one who wants the vermouth to contribute more distinct character to the cocktail, SCHOFIELD'S delivers more.
The Negroni Test: Sweet Vermouth Compared
The Negroni is a different equation. The cocktail is equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari, and the sweet vermouth here needs to hold its own against two assertive ingredients. The classic Negroni is made with an Italian sweet vermouth, but the English sweet vermouth option has gained ground in bars that want a more bitter, botanical-forward result.
Dolin Rouge provides a raisin and dried fruit character that the Negroni's bitter-sweet balance absorbs comfortably. The light botanical presence means the Campari dominates the finish, with the gin providing a bridge. It is a well-proportioned drink.
ESTATE Sweet Vermouth is built on a different set of references. The fennel and wormwood give it a more pronounced bitter edge than Dolin Rouge. The English hops add resinous aromatic depth. The sultana brings the dried fruit sweetness, but it is layered under herbal and slightly medicinal notes that shift the Negroni's character toward complexity rather than sweetness.
The ESTATE Negroni tends to taste darker, more herbal, and less sweet than the Dolin version, even with identical measures. Some palates prefer that profile. It also performs differently in builds that sit for a few minutes: the additional structure in ESTATE means the cocktail holds its character as the ice melts, rather than mellowing into sweetness.
Where Dolin Has the Advantage
Brand recognition is a real factor in cocktail programming. A venue that puts Dolin on its menu can assume most guests and staff know what it is. It removes an explanation barrier. When a guest asks for a Negroni made with Dolin, everyone in the building knows what that means.
Versatility is also a Dolin strength. Dolin Blanc, the sweeter white expression containing 32 botanicals, is one of the most adaptable vermouths available: it works in shaken cocktails, in spritzes, with soda, with blanco tequila, and in the Blond Negroni (a newer classic that pairs it with gin and Suze). The sheer number of plant and spice elements gives it range that a smaller, more focused botanical bill cannot match.
Dolin also has a heritage story that reads well behind the bar and on menus. The Chambéry appellation, the 1821 founding date, the Alpine production: these are communicable facts that help front-of-house staff sell the product with genuine enthusiasm.
Where Asterley Bros Makes Its Case
The argument for Asterley Bros is not that their vermouths are universally better than Dolin. It is that they are better for certain applications and that the English vermouth category offers something the French import does not.
The first advantage is botanical distinctiveness. SCHOFIELD'S and ESTATE are made with British-grown ingredients where possible, and the hop, elderflower, and thyme character is not replicable by any French producer. For a venue that wants to tell a local story, this is a selling point that Dolin cannot match regardless of quality.
The second advantage is flavour engineering for specific cocktails. The ESTATE Negroni profile, with its more bitter, more herbal character, is not a happy accident: it is a deliberate formulation that responds to how the Negroni actually tastes when built with standard measures. Asterley Bros has clearly tested these products in the glass rather than simply producing them to a traditional specification.
The third advantage is freshness. English vermouth does not have to travel from the French Alps. A product made in South London and distributed in the UK arrives with less oxidation exposure and more recent bottling dates on average. Vermouth is wine-based and perishable once opened: freshness matters.
A Direct Comparison
| Dolin Dry Vermouth | SCHOFIELD'S Dry Vermouth | Dolin Rouge | ESTATE Sweet Vermouth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Chambéry, France | South London, UK | Chambéry, France | South London, UK |
| Base wine | Ugni Blanc | English (Kent Pinot Noir where specified) | Ugni Blanc | English base wine |
| Key botanicals | Wormwood, genepi, verbena, cinchona bark, rose, orange peel | Rose, camomile, jasmine, gentian, cardamom, lime leaf, rosemary, elderflower | 15 botanicals (wormwood, genepi, rose, citrus) | Fennel, wormwood, English hops, thyme, orange, grapefruit, lime, sultana |
| Botanical count | 15 (dry), 32 (blanc) | Not disclosed | ~15 | Not disclosed |
| Martini character | Subtle, gin-forward | Floral, aromatic, cardamom warmth | N/A | N/A |
| Negroni character | Light dried fruit, sweet | N/A | Clean, sweet, Campari-forward | Dark, bitter, herbal, holds structure |
| Brand recognition | Very high in UK trade | Growing | High | Growing |
| Apellation | Vermouth de Chambéry | English Vermouth | Vermouth de Chambéry | English Vermouth |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is English vermouth a protected category? English vermouth is not currently protected under UK or EU law in the same way as Vermouth de Chambéry. However, producers making vermouth in England follow the same base-wine and botanical fortification principles, and the category has grown significantly with more than 15 English vermouth brands now in production.
Does vermouth go off once opened? Yes. Vermouth is wine-based and will oxidise once exposed to air. An opened bottle kept in the fridge will start losing aromatic character within two to three weeks and can turn vinegary within six to eight weeks. Buying smaller bottles and using them within a month of opening gives the best results.
Should vermouth be refrigerated after opening? Both dry and sweet vermouth should be stored in the refrigerator once opened. The cold slows oxidation significantly. Sweet vermouth typically lasts slightly longer after opening because its sugar content acts as a partial preservative, but refrigeration is essential for both styles.
What is the difference between French and English vermouth? French vermouths tend to be lighter, drier, and more floral, with a tradition rooted in the Alpine region of Chambéry. English vermouths generally take a more botanical-forward approach, often incorporating British-grown ingredients such as English hops, elderflower, and hedgerow herbs. French vermouths tend toward subtlety, while English expressions often prioritise distinct herbal and bitter character.
Can I substitute Asterley Bros ESTATE for Dolin in cocktails calling for sweet vermouth? In most cases yes, with the caveat that ESTATE has a more bitter, herbal character than Dolin Rouge. Substituting ESTATE will make a Negroni darker, more bitter, and less sweet. For Manhattans and other cocktails where the sweet vermouth character leads, you may want to adjust measures accordingly.
How should unopened vermouth be stored? Unopened bottles should be stored upright in a cool, dark place, away from direct sunlight and temperature fluctuations, just like still wine. Unlike sherry, vermouth does not improve with age and should be purchased with the intention of drinking it within a reasonable timeframe.