Martini and Rossi sweet vermouth is utter swill. Whatever else you ignore, do not ignore this: don’t drink it. It’s almost as bad as waider’s potcheen.

I’m interested to learn your take on the Vya. I’ve only had it in Manhattans, out at bars, but I liked it a lot.

Here is something bc got me. It is really wonderful – it is a fortified, spiced wine, like other vermouths, but it’s made with decent barolo, not cheap red plonk. The drink called the ‘Bob-Tailed Nag’ is made with bourbon whisky, chinotto, mint bitters, and a curly lemon twist (the “tail”); it is very nice.