Sweet vermouth

It’s wine fortified with spirits and flavoured with botanicals such as herbs and spices. Sweet vermouth is often red, with a sweeter, more rounded taste than dry vermouth.

Pour it over ice and add soda water and a slice of orange. A small measure served chilled also works as a pre-dinner drink.

A Negroni uses equal measures of gin, sweet vermouth and a bitter aperitif, served over ice with orange. For a Manhattan, stir it with whiskey and a dash of bitters, then garnish with a cherry.

Yes. After browning pork, add a splash to the pan to loosen the browned bits, let it reduce, then stir in stock for a savoury sauce with a gentle herbal sweetness.

Seal it tightly and keep it in the fridge; vermouth is wine-based, so air gradually dulls its flavour. For the best aroma, use it within a month or two.

Store it upright in a cool, dark cupboard, away from a cooker or sunny window. Refrigerate it once opened.

Use dry vermouth with a small dash of sugar syrup; it keeps the herbal character but makes the drink less rich. Port can also work, but gives the cocktail a fruitier flavour.