Vermouth tastings in Barcelona?

WHAT?

Fer el vermut.. That’s Sunday, full stop.

You’ve heard “when in Rome…”. Well, in Catalonia you "fas el vermut" at noon on Sunday. Also called "fer pica-pica". Same idea: nibbling, chatting, stretching time.

“Vermut” is both the drink and the ritual. The drink comes from the German Wermut (wormwood), the herb that gives it that slightly bitter edge. It spread through Italy and landed in Reus, south of Catalonia and the mecca of vermouth, in the 1850s, where it took off big time. For decades, vermouth was the pre-lunch drink of choice for workers and families alike. You’d go to the bodega, have a glass, maybe a light snack, and then head home for the main meal. That habit is where anar a fer el vermut comes from. Literally go do the vermouth, but really it means going out before lunch to have a drink and a few bites.

Yet, over time, the food part grew, the drink became optional, and the social ritual took over. Yes, in Spain people will say ir de tapas. Fair enough. But in Catalonia we don’t go “for tapas”, we go a fer el vermut. It’s less about hopping bars and more about parking yourself somewhere nice, taking it slow, and enjoying the moment.

The ritual itself is simple: meet friends or family, usually on a terrace, order olives, crisps, nuts, anchovies, cockles… simple snacks after all... and, of course, drinks. BUT could be vermouth, could be beer or wine. Still called fer el vermut. It’s not about getting drunk. It’s social, slow, and very Mediterranean: small bites, conversation, sun if you can get it. Anchovy-stuffed olives, fuet, cheese, crisps… everyone has their favourites. Do it right and lunch becomes almost optional.

WHERE?

Barcelona is basically a city of vermut spots, and they’re all a bit different depending on the neighbourhood.

You’ve got the old-school bodegas, especially in places like the neighbourhood of Sants, where nothing’s changed in 50 years. House vermouth, olives, anchovies, no nonsense. Examples like Bodega Montferry, Bodega Nadal or Bodega Salvat... places frozen in time, where you’re surrounded by ancient regulars slowly dried out by decades of vermouth.

Then you drift into places like Sant Antoni or Poble Sec, where things feel a bit more polished but still properly local, still real vermut territory, even if gentrification is starting to creep in; think spots like Bodega d'en Rafel, Bar Calders, Bar Seco, Celler Can Marino or Quimet i Quimet, which can brag about being over 100 years old and run by the fourth generation, but these days is so overexposed in travel guides it’s rammed with tourists crammed into a tiny space.

In another corner of the city, in Clot and in Poblenou, old-style neighbourhoods, you have Bodega Sopena, Celler Ca La Paqui, or el Santet.

And then there are the newer spots, many around the centre, making their own vermouth or giving it a bit of a foodie twist; places like Moritz Store Barcelona, La Cala del Vermut, Casa Mariol or Senyor Vermut… still vermut, just with a bit more flair.

Point is, there isn’t one “best” place. It’s more like a whole ecosystem: from dusty, authentic bars to trendier spots. Same ritual, different vibe depending on what you’re in the mood for.

Enjoy

#infox #ferelvermut #vermuteries #barcelona #food

Great post by Enric to explain what is the vermouth, socially. In many other parts of Spain (I´m posting from the Basque Country, Bilbao), we also call that time (normally, on weekends) before lunch when we enjoy our pintxos and vermouths (by the way, it´s not the drink with gin you have in the US) with family and friends. We call it "tomar el vermú" or "aperitivo". We call it "marianito" in the Basque Country, by the way, when it´s small. Here it´s a drink to be enjoyed before lunch, rarely in the afternoon or evenings. Red, white, rosé...a great way of socializing in Spain.