London’s Bermondsey has welcomed Vermouth 49, a new experiential bar that celebrates vermouth and Spain’s aperitivo culture.
Located under a Victorian railway arch in Bermondsey, Vermouth 49 is inspired by the vermouth bars of Spain. It serves the fortified wine drink neat or on the rocks, accompanied by a selection of “salty nibbles”.
The bar’s co-owner Zac Fingal-Rock Innes, who also co-founded London tapas bar Bar Tozino with Chuse Valero, is a lover of Spanish produce. He grew up the son of a deli owner in Monmouth and worked his way to running meat and cheese counters in Brindisa, Selfridges and Union Street.
At Vermouth 49, there are many different kinds of vermouth available – both from Spain and further afield. A staple brand on the menu is Barcelona’s El Bandarra vermut, with its Red, White and Rosé variants.
The team are also experimenting with new drinks such as ‘beermouth’, a refreshing combination of beer with a double shot of vermouth.
On the food front, Vermouth 49 serves an array of cheeses, charcuterie and cured fish throughout the day, as well as salads and sandwiches at lunchtime.
The seasonal menu boasts a number of local suppliers, including The Gay Farmer olive oil, The Snapery bread, beer from FourPure and charcuterie from Cannon & Cannon, while much of the wine comes from Fingal-Rock Wines, Zac’s family business – an importer specialising in Burgundy.
Just as the food and drink in Vermouth 49 is a collection of the team’s favourite things, so is the design of the bar; vintage seating, crockery and sifóns picked up from markets in Spain and the UK is mixed with bold, colourful artwork from El Bandarra’s in house visual expressionist Oscar Medina.
Vermouth 49 recently held a special launch party in partnership with El Bandarra.
