An aromatized and fortified wine, Vermouth begins as a white wine that is then flavored with herbs, fruits, or spices. Traditionally, Vermouth is made in two primary styles; the red-colored sweet Vermouth and the white, dry Vermouth variant.
Apart from direct consumption, both variants of Vermouth have a wide range of uses. Also, both variants of Vermouth can be substituted for each other. However, when it comes to cooking, sweet Vermouth is not usually a good option and should never be used as a substitute for dry Vermouth.
So, what is the best substitute for dry Vermouth? As far as cooking goes, some of the best substitutes for dry Vermouth are White wine, Vinegar, and Lemon Juice. These substitutes can perform similar functions as dry Vermouth in a meal.
Depending on the meal involved, there might not be much of a difference between dry Vermouth and these substitutes.
An Overview of Dry Vermouth
Dry Vermouth is sometimes called White Vermouth because of its signature clear nature. However, depending on the maker, some dry Vermouth could be pale yellow in color. They may also have varying tastes and flavors depending on the herbs or fruits used by the maker. Some dry Vermouth could feature as many as 30 different botanicals. They contain around 5 percent sugar and have great chemistry with Martinis.
While they are popular for making Martinis, they’re not only useful at your wine bar. Dry Vermouth also has a special place in kitchens as well. They’re great for cooking, especially while making fish dishes or as a marinade for meat.
Unfortunately, most times, dry Vermouth is usually considered as a substitute for other ingredients in recipes. You know, written in parenthesis, just beside other wines, just in case the closest wine shop doesn’t have the brand of wine you need. However, a lot of times, that seemingly cheap bottle of dry Vermouth does its job excellently in certain meals.
Why Replace Dry Vermouth?
There are certainly several reasons you may want an alternative to dry Vermouth. It could be:
- You’re don’t like one of the ingredients it contains: with a long list of herbs, fruits, and spices that could come with a glass of dry Vermouth; it’s easy to spot something you don’t want in your meal.
- You’re Out of Stock: even that dusty bottle of rarely-ever-touched dry Vermouth sitting on your cellar eventually runs out. When that happens, the next logical step is to find a substitute.
Best Substitutes For Dry Vermouth
Below are some great substitutes for dry Vermouth:
White Wine
Typically, dry Vermouth is usually recommended as a cheap alternative to white wine. However, it could be more likely that a bottle of white wine is sitting on your shelf while the cheaper dry Vermouth is nowhere to be seen.
If you’re out of dry Vermouth for some reason, one of the closest alternatives on the list is white wine. A white wine, especially a dry white wine, can closely imitate the taste of dry Vermouth in your meal. And it’s not just the taste; it also does most of the underground work you’ll expect dry Vermouth to do in your meal.
When you bake or simmer a dish with white wine for a longer time, you’ll inevitably reduce its alcohol content. White wine is great for tenderizing meat and preparing sauces, stew, seafood dishes, and risottos.
Vinegar
Vinegar is popular in making lots of dishes. This means there’s a great chance of finding it on your kitchen shelf.
Vinegar can closely imitate Dry Vermouth’s acidic quality, making it another top substitute to consider. Balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, and white wine vinegar are good candidates. White wine vinegar is a particularly great substitute because it is closest in taste to dry Vermouth.
If you plan to make clam linguine (with a light sauce), for instance, white wine vinegar will help showcase the fresh clams.
In comparison to balsamic vinegar, White wine vinegar also has a stronger flavor. If red wine vinegar is the only available option, you can use it, but with caution. Red wine vinegar will ruin the color of a light dish. However, if the color of a dish isn’t a problem, then, by all means, go for it.
Lemon Juice
Another plausible alternative for dry Vermouth is lemon juice. Lemon juice can add a touch of acidity to your dishes. However, go easy on lime or citrus juice since their flavor may get a bit too strong for your dishes.
When using lemon juice as a substitute for dry Vermouth, you need to add it to your meal in tiny drops to avoid overpowering the meal with lemon flavor. A good way to ensure you use the right amount is to taste the meal every time you add drops of it.
Also, as a rule of thumb, you’ll usually need a much smaller amount of lemon juice as compared to dry Vermouth. If the recipe of the meal you’re making requires half a cup of dry Vermouth, then you should probably think of using around a quarter of a cup of lemon juice.
Other Plausible Substitutes
Turkey, chicken, or vegetable broth may not have the distinct flavor that dry Vermont can offer, but they’re nonetheless plausible alternatives for dry Vermouth. If you have beef broth, you can also consider using that as well. You can get creative by mixing up the broth with acidic ingredients like lemon juice. That way, you get the broth in all its glory while also benefiting from the lemon juice’s acidic taste.
Another option is white grape juice. However, only get white grape juice with no extra sweeteners. Although it will still taste a bit sweeter than dry Vermouth, reducing the quantity you use should help dilute and bring down its sweet taste. But, this may not work in some recipes. A good time to try this would be when making sauces for poultry. Throw in some spice and salt if the taste gets a bit sweeter than you’d prefer.