Nobody at a Malaga vermouth bar asks which brand you want. At Casa Lola on Calle Granada, you order the draught by name: a Tradicional, served with an orange slice, or an Estropeado, topped with soda, both 3.70 euros, or a Chispazo, topped with cola, for 4.20. Two streets away, Vermutería La Clásica pours its own draught for 2.60 euros.
How much is vermouth in Malaga, and where do you drink it? Draught vermouth costs 2.60 euros at La Clásica, Plaza de Uncibay 1, 3.20 from the barrel at La Tranca and 3.70 at Casa Lola, Calle Granada 46. Bottled brands run from 4.20 to 6 euros. The bars open at noon, and every tapa is paid for separately.
Vermouth in Malaga is a red aperitif wine poured by the glass, usually from a tap or barrel, and drunk from noon before a late Spanish lunch. The bars cluster around Calle Granada and Plaza de Uncibay, where Casa Lola stands 89 metres from La Clásica and 87 metres from El Pimpi.
How to order vermouth, word by word
These four words cover the menus on Calle Granada:
- De grifo means draught, from the tap; de barril, from the barrel.
- Tradicional is Casa Lola’s straight draught, with an orange slice.
- Estropeado, literally “spoiled”, is the draught topped with soda.
- Aliñao is El Pimpi’s mix of house vermouth, Larios 12 gin and soda, at 4.90 euros.
La Clásica’s menu adds two names of its own beside the draught, the Relajao at 2.60 euros and the Bombazo at 3. When a menu gives a name, order by that name.
Draught or bottled, and how it compares with beer
Draught is where the money goes furthest. At La Clásica, the house draught at 2.60 euros costs less than the bar’s own glass of beer at 3, while its bottled vermouths run from 3 for Cinzano or Martini to 6 for Ataman Barbadillo. A caña, a small beer, costs 2.10 euros at Taberna Uvedoble.
By the Alcazaba, the bars pour bottled or homemade vermouth. Uvedoble, Calle Alcazabilla 1, charges 4.20 for Siderit and 5.50 for its special; El Pimpi lists Yzaguirre at 4.50 and Martini or Cinzano at 4.90. Casa de Vinos La Odisea, below the Alcazaba, sells its homemade vermouth at 4.50 euros a glass.
The tapa costs extra
Unlike in Granada, nothing arrives free with the drink: every tapa is ordered and paid for, as explained in tapas in Malaga’s old town. A gilda, an anchovy, olive and pepper skewer, costs 2 euros at La Clásica and 3 at Casa Lola, and a tapa of ensaladilla 2.90 at Uvedoble.
A draught and 2 gildas at La Clásica come to 6.60 euros. To make it lunch instead, the set-menu places are in cheap eats in Málaga.
Opening hours, Sundays and bookings
The vermouth bars open at noon, and Uvedoble at 12.30pm, which fits a drink before a Spanish lunch around 2pm; the timetable is explained in Malaga meal times. On Sundays, Uvedoble closes and the Antigua Casa de Guardia opens only from 11am to 3pm.
La Tranca takes no bookings, and Casa Lola’s Calle Granada branch has no online booking. El Pimpi books on +34 952 225 403; without a table, it quotes a wait of about 20 minutes, and its menu is in El Pimpi, is it worth it. At the Antigua Casa de Guardia, Alameda Principal 18, you drink its own Clásico and Especial vermouth standing, with the bill chalked on the counter, as told in the Antigua Casa de Guardia.
Where the vermouth bars are
From the airport, the C1 train takes 12 minutes to Málaga Centro-Alameda and costs 1.80 euros; the Casa de Guardia is on the Alameda, and La Tranca is 240 metres from La Clásica.
| Bar | Address | What to order | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermutería La Clásica | Plaza de Uncibay 1 | house draught | 2.60 euros |
| La Tranca | Calle Carretería 92 | barrel vermouth | 3.20 euros |
| Casa Lola | Calle Granada 46 | Tradicional or Estropeado | 3.70 euros |
| Taberna Uvedoble | Calle Alcazabilla 1 | Siderit | 4.20 euros |
| El Pimpi | Calle Granada 62 | aliñao | 4.90 euros |
On Google, Casa Lola scores 4.3 from about 18,162 reviews and La Odisea 4.6 from about 2,949. For lunch nearby, see where to eat in Malaga; after vermouth, the evening moves on to cocktail bars in Málaga.
Vermouth questions from visitors
How do you order vermouth in Spanish?
Ask for un vermut de grifo for draught, or name the house mix. At Casa Lola on Calle Granada that means a Tradicional, with an orange slice, or an Estropeado with soda, both 3.70 euros, or a Chispazo with cola for 4.20.
Is vermouth served with a free tapa in Malaga?
No. In the central vermouth bars with published menus, every tapa has its own price: a gilda costs 2 euros at La Clásica and 3 at Casa Lola, and a tapa of ensaladilla 2.90 at Uvedoble.
Where can I get draught vermouth in Malaga?
At Vermutería La Clásica, Plaza de Uncibay 1, for 2.60 euros a glass; at La Tranca, Calle Carretería 92, from the barrel for 3.20; and at Casa Lola, Calle Granada 46, for 3.70. All three open every day at noon.
Are vermouth bars open on Sunday in Malaga?
Most are. La Clásica, La Tranca, Casa Lola and El Pimpi open every day from noon. Taberna Uvedoble closes on Sundays, and the Antigua Casa de Guardia opens on Sundays only from 11am to 3pm.
Order your vermouth by name, from the tap, and pay for the tapa.