Vermouth born again as a connoisseur's tipple of choice

For an awfully long time, vermouth didn't enjoy much respect. "Vermouth is the least-understood common beverage behind bars today," said cocktail historian Jared Brown in 2007. Alfred Hitchcock's recipe for a martini reportedly called for "five parts gin and a quick glance at a bottle of vermouth".

Not any more. The world is undergoing a drinks renaissance - artisanal cocktails, craft beer, natural wine - and even vermouth has been born again as a connoisseur's tipple of choice, whether it be consumed on the rocks as an aperitif or as one of the star ingredients in a cocktail.

"There's a lot to be discovered," says Manuel Palacio, general manager of Pirata, a new restaurant and bar in Wan Chai that stocks 54 varieties of vermouth. Vermouth has been part of Palacio's life since he was a child in Spain, where his family enjoyed their traditional weekend comidas with glasses of vermouth. These days, as with gin, Spain is leading the vanguard in the drink's global revival. "It is really putting vermouth on the map at the moment," Palacio says.

In Hong Kong, the beverage has virtually no profile. Made of spiced, fortified wine, vermouth varies enormously depending on the dozens of herbs and spices added. "People would ask, 'which one is the best'?" Palacio says.

"There's no right or wrong answer. Some of them work for a particular time of day. Some are fantastic for an apéritivo at seven, some for one o'clock on a sunny day."

If Hongkongers are familiar with vermouth at all, their knowledge is probably limited to international brands such as Cinzano. Many brands offer a more distinctive experience.