Sips & Snacks
for warm weather gatherings.
The last decade of my summer vacations has been spent exploring 12 of Spain’s 17 regions. No matter where you go, snacking and sipping libations at a local watering hole is a national pastime. Over the years I’ve fallen head over heels for vermouth, a fortified wine infused with botanicals. The Spanish take vermut very seriously, with over 150 artisanally produced and counting. Quite different from their Italian and French counterparts, Spanish vermouths really are something all their own. Those from France and Italy tend to be more herbaceous with a slight bitterness, while in Spain vermouth is often sweeter, fruitier, even considering the variety throughout its regions. During la hora del vermut, the hour of vermouth or the hour before lunch, it’s often served simply over ice with a slice of citrus and an olive. In Bilbao, there is Vermouth Preparado, Negroni’s Spanish cousin, pouring more vermouth than gin and Campari, often finished with a few dashes of bitters. On the warmest days, vermouth is lovely topped off with tonic or lemon soda.
Rarely is there a vermouth in sight without potato chips close by, in a little bowl all their own, mixed in with other crunchy salty bits or served in a pile, atop of or cuddling up next to, a tapita (a small tapa). Before visiting Spain I had not experienced this particular caliber of potato chip. Even just picking up a bag at a standard grocery or deli you will find there are at least 3 tiers of quality to choose from. The best are made with potatoes grown by small farms and fried by hand in good Spanish olive oil. The highest quality crisps are often sold in clear plastic bags, sometimes packed again into a paper bag. Many churrerias not only fry up fresh churros, but also potato chips. That first little bowl of crispy thin potatoes with a frosted caña (a particularly small glass of beer, measuring in at around 6 ounces) sipped in my favorite little plaza in Madrid is one of the things I look forward to most every year.
This summer consider the mixes below for all your libatory and peckish needs. The sweet and sour icy effervescence of a Vermouth & Lemon Soda is especially refreshing on a hot day. Serve it with a side bowl of Cocktail Snack Mix— a beautiful marriage of Italian and Spanish nibbles. In Italy they serve taralli mixed with potato chips, in Spain, crisps mixed with corn nuts— bringing them all together felt only natural. This version is nut-free, but throwing in a roasted, salted nut makes a nice addition as well if you want to experiment. We always have a Pre-Mixed Vermouth Negroni on the bar, for those inevitable moments when you need a cocktail but don’t have the wherewithal to mix one. Unlike a classic Negroni, this one has double the vermouth and two different types— an herbaceous Italian and a sweet, full-bodied Spanish, ending in a slightly lighter, less bitter cocktail. Bring it to a party, offer a bottle as a housewarming gift, pack it up for a picnic. I like to recycle a bottle of Akashi whiskey, soaking it in water to remove the label, giving it a good wash and measuring my way up the glass with three fingers for each spirit. All will tuck in nicely at your Fourth of July celebration as well, should you observe. Salud!
A few other July 4th serving suggestions from the archive:
Pre-Mixed Vermouth Negroni
makes 1 bottle
1 part Yzaguirre Rojo Reserva, Primitivo Quiles Vermouth Rojo, or other Spanish sweet Vermouth
1 part Carpano Antica, or other Italian herbaceous sweet Vermouth
1 part gin
1 part Campari
slice of orange for serving
Pour equal parts of all spirits into a beautiful bottle, give it a little shake, label and leave on the bar. When ready to serve, pour over ice and garnish with a slice of orange.
Vermouth & Soda
makes 1 cocktail
1 part Yzaguirre Rojo Reserva, Primitivo Quiles Vermouth Rojo, or other Spanish sweet Vermouth
1 part Limonata (or other lemon soda) or tonic
a slice of lemon
Pour vermouth over ice, top off with equal parts lemon soda or tonic. Garnish with a slice of lemon.
Cocktail Snack Mix
1 part kettle chips
1 part taralli, any kind
1 part corn nuts
Toss all together and serve.
One of my favourite neighbourhoods in Madrid, the Santa Anna area has a teensy-weensy chip shop. Two old guys work there, one at the counter one manning a gigantic cauldron of oil, frying potatoes, stirring the pot with a huge paddle. Restauranteurs line up to get there daily rations and I was right alongside them getting mine!
I love Spanish vermouth!! Also the chips are truly next level!! I’ve also seen dried or fried Tava beans and chickpeas mixed in the the snack mix- so fun!!