Add it to the Bar: Martini Vibrante

The first non-alcoholic bottle in the bar may just be the best (and one of the cheapest) out there

Am I missing out on loads of traffic by posting my NA bar addition on the literal last day of Dry January? Probably not, that doesn’t really seem to be how traffic to this newsletter works… But, even if it was, so what - it’s been a pretty crazy month. And around here “dry” doesn’t just apply to January anyways; spurts of NA consumption come and go. I think that’s probably healthier.

And sometimes, when I get more into it, I go out and search for new NA bottles and test them out. There’s some very good stuff out there, and many ready-to-drink options especially seem to be getting much better. But one bottle consistently stands above the rest, it’s usually the cheapest item in the cart, and it’s the only one I make sure is consistently stocked at home. Martini Vibrante simply rocks.

I’ve written a bit about this before. And one of those is probably still one of the best NA cocktails I’ve ever had (let alone made). Thankfully, my worry at the time that this would soon go away was completely unfounded and it seems to be widely available just about everywhere now:

Why It’s Good

And as I said back then, the best way to drink this is often just on its own over ice. Even the official recommendation from M&R doesn’t complicate it much: it’s just adding some grapefruit juice and soda. Grapefruit and orange bitters along with the soda, to save squeezing juice, also works great.

Vibrante is very bright (obviously) and citrusy throughout, but not quite as sweet as many alcoholic counterparts (like Aperol) and certainly not as bitter as others (like Campari) that share the red hue and citrus-forward profile. It’s a very nice middle ground, which is why it works so much better on its own than those comparisons.

I think part of the reason its so good is because the base here is the same wine as all M&R vermouths. Do they famously use amazing grapes? No, of course not - they’re mostly a budget producer of massive scale. BUT, I do think they probably have better access to this kind of juice than many upstart brands - because they buy so much, they naturally have a leg up from the jump here. And, once they remove the booze, the process is pretty much the same as everything else they make.

Again, does that process yield the world’s finest vermouths? No, not really. BUT, they’re obviously experts at what they do and their process is built for so much scale that they simply miss less. And I think in the NA world, that “safety” is huge here - there are so many variables at play, and M&R has to be one of the world’s best operations for avoiding major issues.

How to Drink It

I maintain that any place you’d use Aperol or Sweet Vermouth would be a good place for Vibrante. This especially includes Negronis and Manhattans, where Vibrante leads to a much lighter drink (in proof and profile). I haven’t yet tested if this includes Spaghetts, but I bet it does… Overall, it’s extremely versatile in “true” cocktails.

But it’s also a great way to drink something interesting with no alcohol at all. Taking a cue from M&R’s own recommendation, I’ve taken to something like the following:

• 2 oz Vibrante

• 0.25 oz Syrup (lately, the citrus one)

• 0.5 oz fresh juice (usually lime)

• 2 oz soda

This is a refreshing, interesting long drink that’s perfect for when you’re wrapping up your last bit of work for the day and transitioning into the relaxing piece of the evening. And I really think you could fool just about anyone - not many would bet on this level of complexity being a “mocktail.”