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 many UK bars, that vermouth is Dolin, a traditional French classic that has sat on back bars for decades.
But Dolin is not the only option, and for a Martini or a Negroni with more botanical character, English vermouth has more to offer. Asterley Bros, founded in 2014 by brothers Rob and Jim Berry, makes vermouth in small batches in South London and has been making the case for English vermouth ever since. 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 with Dolin in the two drinks where vermouth matters most: the Martini and the Negroni.
How Asterley Bros Takes a Different Botanical Approach
Asterley Bros entered the market with a different proposition: take the classic vermouth styles and rebuild them around English wine and British botanicals.
SCHOFIELD'S English Dry Vermouth is flavoured with 28 botanicals, including rose, camomile, jasmine, gentian, cardamom, lime leaf, rosemary, and elderflower. ESTATE English Sweet Vermouth uses 34, including 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, reflecting interest in locally made fortified wines made from English-grown grapes. 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. ESTATE Sweet Vermouth is built on English Pinot Noir from Gusbourne in Kent, which brings delicate tannins, and SCHOFIELD'S Dry Vermouth on a blend of English white wines. The botanicals are macerated in spirit before blending (ESTATE's for 21 days at 75% ABV, SCHOFIELD'S at 40% ABV), and SCHOFIELD'S is not fined, just filtered to 1 micron.
Where Dolin Comes From
Dolin makes vermouth in Chambéry in the French Alps, and its products carry the designation "Vermouth de Chambéry," which specifies production methods and geographic origin.
Dolin Dry uses a base of Ugni Blanc wine flavoured with 15 botanicals, including wormwood, genepi, verbena, cinchona bark, rose, and orange peel, 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.
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.
SCHOFIELD'S Dry Vermouth brings more to the drink. 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. It is a more opinionated vermouth: it announces itself more clearly, so it works best when the gin is chosen to complement rather than compete with those botanical notes.
Dolin Dry is subtler and lets the gin lead: the result is a drink that feels clean and aromatic rather than herbal.
For a Martini where the vermouth contributes distinct character, SCHOFIELD'S delivers more. For a more gin-led Martini, simply use less of it: even a small measure adds a floral lift.
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.
ESTATE Sweet Vermouth is built for this. 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, spiced notes that shift the Negroni's character towards complexity rather than sweetness.
Dolin Rouge, by contrast, brings a raisin and dried fruit character with a light botanical presence, so the Campari dominates the finish.
The ESTATE Negroni tends to taste darker, more herbal, and less sweet than the Dolin version, even with identical measures, as ESTATE is lower in sugar than many sweet vermouths. 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
Familiarity is a real factor in cocktail programming: a venue that lists Dolin can assume many guests and staff know the name.
Dolin also has a long heritage in Chambéry, which gives staff an easy story to tell.
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 English wine and British botanicals, and their hop, elderflower, and thyme character is not something French producers offer. 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. SCHOFIELD'S, for its part, was made with the Schofield brothers, Joe and Daniel, who are bartenders, so it was shaped in the glass rather than simply produced to a traditional specification.
The third advantage is transparency. Asterley Bros publishes the full botanical list for each vermouth on its product pages, and both are made in small batches in South London rather than shipped from the French Alps. Vermouth is wine-based and perishable once opened, so knowing what is in the bottle and finishing it while fresh both matter.
A Direct Comparison
| SCHOFIELD'S Dry Vermouth (Our pick) | Dolin Dry Vermouth | ESTATE Sweet Vermouth (Our pick) | Dolin Rouge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | South London, UK | Chambéry, France | South London, UK | Chambéry, France |
| Base wine | A blend of English white wines | Ugni Blanc | English Pinot Noir (Gusbourne, Kent) | Ugni Blanc |
| Key botanicals | Rose, camomile, jasmine, gentian, cardamom, lime leaf, rosemary, elderflower | Wormwood, genepi, verbena, cinchona bark, rose, orange peel | Fennel, wormwood, English hops, thyme, orange, grapefruit, lime, sultana | 15 botanicals (wormwood, genepi, rose, citrus) |
| Botanical count | 28 (full list published) | 15 | 34 (full list published) | ~15 |
| Martini character | Floral, aromatic, cardamom warmth | Subtle, gin-forward | N/A | N/A |
| Negroni character | N/A | N/A | Dark, bitter, herbal, holds structure | Dried fruit, sweet, Campari-forward |
| Appellation | English vermouth (no appellation) | Vermouth de Chambéry | English vermouth (no appellation) | Vermouth de Chambéry |
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 a growing number of 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 towards 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.