Often as not I have a couple of Chorizo knocking about in the fridge and a bag of frozen prawns in the freezer. I certainly have a bottle of Catalan Vermut in the house unless I drunk it the night before. Thereby I can knock a version of this up in 5 minutes when friends unexpectedly drop by, even if the coriander is missing. It is always well received though there is never any vermut left afterwards.
Although a century or more old, the Gin & It, the ‘It’ being sweet Italian red Vermouth, had its heyday, in Britain, as a pub standard, post WWII. Long out of fashion, its appeal declined inversely with the metaphoric rise in popularity of the Dry Martini, of which the Sweet Martini, as Gin & It was originally known, is said to be the forerunner.
Coming from the similar period and region, Manhattens are considered the Old Fashioned’s sophisticated younger sibling. The sweetness comes not from sugar but sweet vermouth. Served cold, but without ice, it remains undiluted.
Most bartenders default to be a red, sweet, Italian rosso. They should really try a Catalan vermut. This is a game changer. Catalans regularly drink it neat on the rocks. It is one of the most popular drinks, especially at Sunday lunchtime or as a general aperitif. It smells like a warm kitchen, not a visit to the dentist like the ubiquitous Martini & Rossi Vermouth which is never taken alone, and for good reason.