Relaxing at La Ardosa in Madrid, a popular haunt for locals and tourists alike since its foundation in 1892.
It’s an iconic image straight out of a Hemingway novel: a sleepy bar on a Sunday afternoon, the floor littered with peanut shells; barrels with wooden spigots jostle for space above the bar. Short glasses – filled with ice, olives and an orange slice – hold one of Spain’s signature elixirs: vermouth, or as it’s known here, vermut.
Spain’s vermouth has evolved alongside the nation, tracing its journey from international pariah during the Franco era (1939-1975) to the hub of culinary innovation and effortless cool that it is today. Once dismissed as the drink of grandparents, symbol of an era of political turmoil and economic hardship, it has undergone a renaissance in recent years, becoming a mainstay of hipsters and pensioners alike. Now, vermut is synonymous with those outdoor-terraza, laid-back afternoons of the sort that everyone loves about Spain.
El vermut is more than just a drink, it’s a way of life. And there’s no better example of the Spanish approach to life than la hora del vermut (‘vermouth hour’).
A uniquely Spanish tradition
The Spanish love their bars, and la hora del vermut is a much-loved weekend tradition that offers an excuse to enjoy them. It’s a chance to slow down and spend time with family and friends over a glass of the good stuff before heading to lunch.
The concept of having a drink and a bite is not unique to Spain. The Italians are famous for aperitivo, and the French have their apéro. But unlike their European neighbours, who generally enjoy their aperitifs before the evening meal, Spaniards convene for la hora del vermut before lunch.
The earlier timing of Spain’s siesta is said to originate from the years immediately following the Spanish Civil War; many rural labourers worked two jobs to support their families, dividing their days between a morning shift from 9am-2pm and an afternoon shift from 4pm-8pm. A two-hour lunch break in the middle allowed workers to rest or travel between jobs.
When Spain experienced extensive migration from rural to urban areas in the 1950s, this midday break remained an important part of the culture. Before long, the newly formed urban middle class could afford a drink on Sundays between attending Mass and sitting down to lunch – and la hora del vermut was born.
Why vermouth?
It was in the 1860s that vermouth debuted in Spain, when Italian brands such as Martini & Rossi began exporting to Madrid and Barcelona. Then Spanish companies began making vermouths of their own and the government levied a tariff on the foreign imports. Seeing an opportunity to get ahead of the competition, Martini invested in Spain, opening a factory in Barcelona and hiring leading modernist architects Antoni Gaudí, Pedro Falqués and Josep Puig i Cadafalch to design Bar Torino, to make vermouth fashionable in Barcelona. The bar only traded for nine years, closing in 1911, but the vermouth craze spread from there to the rest of the country. By the 1950s, el vermut was Spain’s most popular aperitif.
Until it wasn’t… After Franco’s death in 1975, Spain began to modernise. Beer became popular among young people and vermut became unfashionable – the drink of a bygone era that everyone wanted to forget. Vermut was an endangered species. And then, the tide changed. Around 2010, young people started drinking vermut again. Some say vermut’s affordability made it a logical drink of choice during the global financial crisis. Others credit its resurgence to hipsters’ obsession with all things ‘vintage’. Whatever the reason, vermut was back on top.
Now, more and more producers are making artisanal expressions that showcase Spain’s diversity. From Albariño-based iterations in Galicia, in the northwest, to the Pedro Ximénez- based vermouth of Andalucía in the far south, there’s no end to the variety of vermut on offer in Spain – or the…
Source : https://www.decanter.com.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering/spirits/la-hora-del-vermut-six-spanish-vermouths-to-try-544033/
