It’s no secret that we here at Lata love a good vermút– it’s one of the reasons behind why we became great friends and founded the company together! It’s such a great pairing, especially with tinned fish, and we’re happy to see it exploding in popularity in the US and abroad.
How popular is it? In 2019, the global vermouth industry was valued at over 8.7 billion dollars! That’s not all - The New Yorker even went as far as to say “We should all be drinking Spanish Vermouth” – we wholeheartedly agree!
The Spanish tradition is that you treat yourself to some vermouth just before lunch as fantastic appetizer – with some additional snacks on the side like olives, potato chips, soft cheese and (our favorite!) tinned fish like mussels and sardines.
With that in mind, with all the available options it can be hard to know which one to pick and which ones pair well with the tins of fish you have in your pantry. That’s why we’ve made this guide to help you get acquainted with vermút culture the Spanish way.
Padró & Co
Originally founded by the Padró family in 1886, this historic winery has a long history of producing fantastic wines but also delicious vermouth. We love this pairing because there are also a lot of tinned fish brands we sell that also share this long, storied heritage (for example, Ati Manel and Ramón Peña)
We recommend trying the Blanco Reserva together with the Espinaler Mussels in Pickled Sauce for an exquisite afternoon delight.
Lacuesta Vermut
Martínez Lacuesta wanted to push the boundaries of what the vermouth conzia (extract) could be. And what magic has been created.
While there are a number of options available from their range, we strongly recommend the Reserva en Acacia – a beautiful amber colored vermouth aged in acacia barrels. We love a glass of this with some Nuri Extra Spiced Sardines in olive oil – an incredible pairing.
Mata
Can you imagine a vermouth recipe that has been cultivated and perfected for over 100 years (since before the Prohibition period) – now you don’t have to! Mata Vermouths date back to 1880 Bierzo in Spain and continue to thrill curious food explorers in Spain and around the world.
The Mata Vermouth Blanco is a superb pairing together with the Güeyu Mar chargrilled octopus.
Bodegas Yzaguirre
Founded in 1884, Yzaguirre has developed several highly artisanal techniques, making them specialists at sangria, wines and of course vermouth. Based in El Morell, between the villages of Reus and Tarragona, you can guarantee an awestriking combination of flavors in every bottle.
We recommend trying the Classic White Vermouth with a bite of squid – preferably the squid in olive oil from La Brùjula
Lustau
As of writing this article (2024), Bodega Lustau is celebrating their 127th year of producing top-quality sherry wines. Truly a jewel of the Jerez de la Frontera quarter in Santiago, the brainchild of Emilio Lustau continues to stun us with deep flavor profiles. Their focus on creating vermouth with sherry wine as the main ingredient blew us away and made it essential to add them to this list.
If you’ve just received your April 2024 Discovery Box, the José Gourmet Stickleback you received together with Lustau’s Palomina & Moscatel Vermut Blanco is a match made in heaven
Morro Fi
The youngest option from our list, Morro Fi (“Refined Snout”) was started up in 2007 by a group of three Barcelonian friends as a vermouth bar in their home-town. If you’re ever in town, the place is a must-visit, but they also produce their own vermouth - the Morro Fi Vermut Negre - which really hits the spot. If you can get your hands on it, we recommend trying this one with the La Narval Ventresca.
Casa Mariol
We love the packaging design, we love the taste and after winning the Craft Spirits Berlin Gold Award in 2024 for their delicious Black Vermouth, Casa Mariol is taking the vermouth scene by storm. Their white vermouth is eclectic and earned a Vinari de Plata 2024 Silver medal, making it one to add on your list. Whether you prefer the black or the white, you can’t go wrong with pairing it with the Samare’s Galician Razor Clams in brine.
We hope we’ve inspired you with a fresh idea of how to enjoy your tinned fish but also given you the extra nudge to try an afternoon vermút with Spanish vermouth.
Do you have a vermouth you love? Or maybe you’ve discovered an amazing pairing we’ve missed? Let us know!