History

The Catalan vermouth tradition was built in early-20th-century Reus, where the wine industry developed sweet aromatised vermouths flavoured with wormwood, gentian and orange peel. By the 1920s the hora del vermut had become a Sunday ritual across Catalonia: a stand-up drink at the counter before the long lunch. The tradition was revived in the 2010s by a wave of dedicated vermouth bars (Quimet i Quimet, Bormuth, El Xampanyet) and now defines Barcelona's pre-lunch culture. The drink is always poured over ice with orange and a green olive; the conserva plates on the counter are part of the ritual.

Book a food experience

Tours, tastings and classes that match this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.

Browse every bookable food experience

Common allergens: Fish, Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 15 minTotal 15 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 400ml red sweet vermouth (Catalan brands Yzaguirre, Miró or Falset are ideal; Cinzano Rosso or Carpano Antica Formula work as substitutes)
  • 60ml soda water (optional; for those who like the spritz finish)
  • 4 large strips of orange peel, plus 4 slices of orange
  • 4 large green olives (Manzanilla or Castelvetrano), pitted
  • Ice cubes
  • For the conserva plate: 1 tin of Cantabrian anchovies (drained)
  • 1 tin of Cantabrian mussels in escabeche (drained)
  • 1 (100g) bag of high-quality salted potato chips
  • 100g pitted green olives
  • 1 baguette (sliced for pa amb tomaquet)

Method

  1. Chill the vermouth bottle in the fridge at least 2 hours; cold vermouth is essential.
  2. Fill four short tumbler glasses with ice cubes to the rim.
  3. Pour 100ml chilled vermouth over the ice in each glass.
  4. Add a 15ml splash of soda water if you like (the Catalan grandmother style is no soda; the modern Bormuth-style is a small splash).
  5. Twist a strip of orange peel over each glass to express the oils; drop the peel in.
  6. Float a slice of orange on the surface and skewer a green olive on a cocktail pick laid across the rim.
  7. Arrange the conserva plate alongside: the anchovies on small rounds of toasted baguette rubbed with garlic and tomato (pa amb tomaquet), the mussels with toothpicks, the chips and olives in small bowls.
  8. Serve at 13:00 sharp; the vermouth hour is a 60-minute window before lunch.
  9. Pour another round; the Catalan rhythm is two vermouths, then sit down to lunch at 14:00.

Tip from the editors. Cold vermouth and lots of ice are non-negotiable; warm vermouth is cloying. The conserva plate (tinned fish, olives, chips) is the canonical pairing.

Where to eat vermut (reus vermouth)

Vermut (Reus vermouth) in Barcelona

Quimet i Quimet ★ 4.7

€€ SpanishPoble Sec

Quimet i Quimet in Barcelona's Poble-sec is the four-generations standing bar where bottles line the wall and the cook builds montaditos on demand.

OrderThe salmon-yoghurt-truffle-honey montadito and a flight of tinned mussels.

TipOpen Mon-Sat lunch and early dinner only; closed Sunday. Arrive before 19:30 for a hope of a corner.

Directions

El Xampanyet ★ 4.5

€€ Catalan TapasBorn

El Xampanyet in Barcelona's Born has poured house cava out of a marble bar since 1929. Anchovies, conserves and that is it; standing only at the counter.

OrderTwo glasses of the house cava and a plate of anchovies with bread.

TipOpen Tue-Sat lunch only. Pile into the bar at 13:00 or wait outside on Carrer de Montcada.

Directions

Bormuth ★ 4.3

€€€ Wine barBorn

Bormuth in Barcelona's Born is the vermouth-and-tapas counter on Rec since 2014: bombas, patatas bravas, vermouth on tap, late kitchen until 23:00.

PourHouse Yzaguirre vermouth

WineCatalan vermouth and natural wine

FoodTapas

TipOpen daily. The bar takes walk-ups, the back room books. Try the bombas with the house vermouth.

Directions

Vinitus ★ 4.3

€€€ Wine barEixample

Vinitus in Barcelona's Eixample is the no-reservations Spanish wine bar that drew the after-work crowd from day one: 200 wines by the glass and a 14 euro.

PourAlbariño from Rias Baixas

WineSpanish

FoodTapas

TipOpen daily; no reservations. Queue at 13:00 or 19:30 for a bar seat in the first turn.

Directions

All Barcelona signature dishes →

Vermut (Reus vermouth) in Salou

banDarra ★ 4.0

€€ CatalanCentreUntil Open to 01:00 daily

banDarra is a tavern, vermouth bar and cocktail bar on Via Augusta in Salou, cooking rice, auction fish and grilled meat from 08:00 until 01:00 daily.

OrderA rice dish or the day's auction fish off the grill, with a vermouth first.

TipThe cellar lists more than 200 wines, Priorat and Montsant among them; the 2026 rice days billed it as Malapecora by Bandarra.

Directions

All Salou signature dishes →

More cities are in research. Want vermut (reus vermouth) covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →