In France, you might start off a meal with some bubbly from Champagne or Riesling from Alsace. In America, it seems like everyone is happy to make you a hand-crafted cocktail before you peruse the menu. But in Spain, vermouth is the spirit of choice to lead off an afternoon of day drinking; in fact, there is a beloved tradition known as “Vermut Hour” in Barcelona, a tradition I’ve enjoyed recreating here at home on more than one occasion.

Coming up on this week’s show, not just any vermouth, we’re enjoying Spanish vermouth with Mercat a La Planxa chef and Barcelona native chef Diego Amat and General Manager John Williams.