How to taste Padró & Co. vermouth and appreciate its full character

Vermouth is often served over ice with a slice of orange, an olive or a splash of soda water. This is a popular and refreshing way to drink it, but each of these additions changes its aroma, flavour and texture.

At Padró i Família, we recommend tasting Padró & Co. vermouths well chilled, straight from the fridge, without ice, fruit, olives or soda water. This allows you to appreciate the aromas of the botanicals, the nuances of the base wine, the influence of the wood and the balance between sweetness and bitterness more clearly.

This is also how vermouth would normally be assessed during a professional tasting: served on its own, without other ingredients that could alter its original character. Each Padró & Co. vermouth has a distinctive profile, so we recommend tasting it neat before adding anything else. This makes it easier to understand how it develops on the nose and palate.

How to taste a Padró & Co. vermouth

Pour a moderate amount into a clean glass free from any residual aromas. Choose a glass that allows you to bring your nose close to the vermouth and smell it comfortably. There is no need to fill it: leaving some space helps the aromas collect inside the glass.

Before moving the glass, bring it to your nose and inhale gently. This first impression helps you identify the most volatile aromas. Next, swirl the glass lightly and smell it again. Notes of herbs, roots, spices, citrus, ripe fruit and balsamic nuances may gradually emerge, alongside aromas developed during its time in wood.

Then take a small sip and allow the vermouth to move across your palate. Notice its initial impression, body and the relationship between sweetness, acidity and bitterness. Finally, consider how long the aromas and flavours remain after swallowing. This persistence is also an important part of the vermouth’s character.

Why do we recommend tasting it without any additions?

Ice cools the drink, but it also dilutes it as it melts. As a result, the botanicals become less intense and the texture on the palate changes. Fruit contributes its own aromas and flavours, while an olive adds saltiness. Soda water reduces the concentration and changes the way the vermouth feels in the mouth.

There is nothing wrong with any of these additions if they suit your personal taste. However, for a first tasting and to discover the original profile of each Padró & Co. vermouth, we recommend serving it neat and well chilled, just as we would during a professional tasting.

How to store vermouth after opening

Vermouth is a wine-based drink and comes into contact with oxygen once the bottle is opened. To preserve its aromas and flavours, close the bottle properly and keep it in the fridge.

If the bottle is not cold enough, it is better to chill it before serving. You can also chill the glass beforehand. This allows you to cool the vermouth without adding ice or diluting it.

What if I prefer it with ice or orange?

Everyone can enjoy vermouth in the way they like best. Adding ice, orange, an olive or soda water is a perfectly valid way to serve it, especially as a refreshing aperitif or when sharing tapas with friends. It will, however, change the profile we created at the winery.

Our recommendation is simple: taste it neat and well chilled first. Identify its aromas, its initial impression on the palate, the balance between sweetness and bitterness and its lingering finish. Once you know its original character, you can adapt the serve to your own taste.

Vermouth can also be enjoyed over ice, with soda, alongside food or in a cocktail. The best serve is ultimately the one you enjoy, but tasting it neat first provides a useful point of reference.

Made to be enjoyed with all the senses

The production of Padró & Co. vermouths begins with careful attention to the grapes and base wines. It continues with the selection of botanicals for their purity and quality, followed by resting or ageing in different types of wood.

Each stage contributes aromas, flavours, body and structure. Serving the vermouth without other ingredients allows you to appreciate this work more precisely and discover the differences between the individual expressions in the range.

Discover the complete range of premium Padró & Co. vermouths, produced and bottled at our winery: