Vermouth brand
El Bandarra Rojo
The cheeky vermouth from Penedès. Xarel·lo and Macabeo from the Casa Berger estates macerated with more than 50 botanicals. Amber-mahogany in color, with licorice, citrus and clove notes. Aged for 1–2 months in oak casks with a solera dating back to 1962. Smooth, generous and finished with a pleasant bitterness. The vermouth made for sharing. 15% vol.
Editorial listing
Description and style
El Bandarra Rojo is the flagship of the brand and the vermouth that has helped transform aperitif culture in Spain: a product launched in 2014 by brothers Virgili Bros —Àlex, Albert and Jordi, third generation of the family that acquired the historic Casa Berger winery in 1962— to bring back the sacred vermouth hour, connect it with a younger audience, and do so with a relaxed, cheeky identity all its own. 🍷
Founded in 1878 by the Alsatian dandy Jean Baptiste Berger, Casa Berger spent decades producing vermouth in bulk for small neighborhood wineries across the Penedès. In 2014, the Virgili Bros decided to bottle that vermouth in a reusable screen-printed bottle inspired by the old-style soda bottle with its classic wire stopper, paying tribute to the golden age of vermouth, when bars painted the tapas they served in their windows.
El Bandarra Rojo starts with Xarel·lo and Macabeo grapes from Casa Berger’s estates in Alt Penedès. The white wine is macerated with more than 50 natural extracts of herbs, flowers, botanicals and spices, including clove, cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom and bitter orange. After fortification and the addition of a touch of caramel that gives it its signature color, the blend is balanced for 1 to 2 months in 500-liter oak barrels with soleras dating back to 1962.
In the glass, it shows a deep mahogany hue with orange reflections, clean and glyceric. On the nose, licorice stands out, layered with mountain herbs, spices and cinnamon.
On the palate, the attack is very smooth and generous, with a well-balanced interplay of sweetness and bitterness, and a friendly, light yet persistent finish. Gluten-free, lactose-free and vegan certified.
Perfect serve: two olives, orange and plenty of ice in a low tumbler.