Guerin Rouge Dry Vermouth

Guerin Vermouth Dry Red is a 750mL French vermouth from the Charentes — the only dry red vermouth currently available in the U.S., according to its importer. Built on Merlot and Cabernet with red Pineau des Charentes, infused with angelica root, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg and bitter orange peel, then aged in Cognac casks for several months — with sugar coming from the grapes alone and nothing added. Bartenders hunting a dry red for Manhattans and beyond can order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.

• ABV: low-ABV vermouth (importer does not publish a figure — no ABV stated in copy)
• Size: 750mL
• Style: dry red vermouth — the only one on the U.S. market per the importer
• Origin: Charentes, Southwest France; produced by Société Puy Gaudin, the Pineau des Charentes pioneers
• Production: Merlot & Cabernet wine base + red Pineau des Charentes, caramelized grape juice, botanicals; aged several months in Cognac casks; no added sugar

A Dry Red That Shouldn't Exist

Red vermouth is sweet — that's the rule, and every other bottle on the American shelf obeys it. Guerin broke it on purpose: after bartenders asked Puy Gaudin for a less sweet, easier-to-mix vermouth, the house went beyond the brief and built both a dry white and a dry red, with sugar levels drawn only from the Pineau des Charentes base. The red was the harder one to get right — finding structure and equilibrium in a dry red took real work — and the result is one of a kind on the international bar scene. It was created by the same family that pioneered Pineau des Charentes after WWII. Explore the full range in our Vermouth Guerin collection and stock your bar from our cocktail essentials.

Tasting Notes

Floral and fruity aromas — lily and raspberry — with hints of saffron and light caramel. Fresh and fruity on the palate with a delicate, grape-derived sweetness; spearmint and a fleeting cherry-compote note give way to a drying, puckery finish (Wine Enthusiast's Kara Newman). The Cognac-cask aging adds a whisper of oak underneath.

How to Enjoy

Wherever a recipe calls for sweet vermouth but you want it drier and more savory — a Dry Manhattan, a dry Negroni variation, or a Boulevardier with edge. It's also a revelation chilled on ice with an orange twist as a low-ABV apéritif.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a dry red vermouth different?
Sweetness: a classic red (rosso) vermouth carries significant added sugar; Guerin's dry red gets its sugar only from the grapes and Pineau base, so it drinks dry, savory and cocktail-friendly.

What is Pineau des Charentes?
A French apéritif from the Cognac region — grape must fortified with Cognac eau-de-vie, then aged in oak. Guerin uses two-year-old Pineau as the vermouth's backbone, which is what makes the line unlike any other.

Is it really the only dry red in America?
That's the importer's claim (Heavenly Spirits), and no competitor has disproven it — dry red vermouth is effectively a category of one.

For the one dry red vermouth on the American market, buy Guerin Vermouth Dry Red online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.