The Guardian says that vermouth is gaining fresh attention as a drink to sip as well as mix, with a Waitrose food and drink report cited as calling it a 2026 trend and noting search interest up by 26%. It recaps vermouth as a fortified, aromatised wine that originated in northern Italy, typically built on a base wine infused with botanicals then fortified to around 15% to 18% ABV, and argues that clearer styles, better understanding of flavour differences, and more producer experimentation are helping it break out beyond the Martini and Negroni roles.